


Before You Go: Premortem

by orphan_account



Series: Valorant: Le Rêve Fatal [3]
Category: VALORANT (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, BDSM, BDSM Scene, Children, F/F, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Growing Old, Growing Old Together, Lesbian Sex, Marriage, Married Couple, Married Sex, No Plot/Plotless, Old Friends, Old Married Couple, PWP without Porn, Parent-Child Relationship, Pregnancy, Romantic Fluff, Smut, So Married, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Useless Lesbians, oneshots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:07:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29044359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A time before Sage fell victim to her untimely demise and Reyna haven't lost her mind to the depths. A time where the two ex-Valorant agents spent their limited days enjoying themselves and the world whilst it lasted. A joyous but limited time.A bundle of one-shots of Reyna and Sage during their marriage before the events of The Fourth Horseman
Relationships: Reyna/Sage (VALORANT)
Series: Valorant: Le Rêve Fatal [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2043949
Comments: 16
Kudos: 20





	1. Anemone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty NSFW I think?

Delilah's perfume blended with the French vanilla burning on the bedside table. Mirai kissed her again, able to still taste the faintest traces of plum from the wine they shared, before licking across her teeth and grinning as the pretty assassin arched and hummed for her. She was delicious. She always was, even after slipping straight out of her form-hugging bodysuit that left so little to the imagination. Sage couldn't get over how Reyna was able to peel off that bloody getup and immediately look refreshed. Not a hair was ever out of place. Not the slightest mark of blemish on her figure. Just miles of sweet,  _ bronzed  _ flesh that was always cool to the touch and seemed to demand a little more attention for it.

_ I'm special _ ,"

She seemed to say with every sway of her hips and bite of her lip.

" _ You'll need to work harder, but I'm worth it." _

Worth it she was. Mirai could spend ages kissing her, running her fingertips over sculpted cheekbones and graceful features. Down Delilah's neck and shoulders. Leaning further down and finding the neat hollow of her throat before pressing her reddened nose closer and inhaling her scent. Taking a full, heavy breast in each hand, lifting them up and massaging them slowly. Feeling soft, firm tissue yielding under her happy fingers. Watching with hooded eyes as Reyna sighed and hummed and arched whenever she took a nipple between her lips and sucked.

"Mi corazón!"

She hissed as her teeth grazed her and Mirai grinned with triumph. It was always so bloody  _ good  _ to watch her mask slip. To see those graceful features, always cool and impassive, shift under her touch. To watch her mouth open in a quiet cry and her eyes clenched shut and to hear that magnificent  _ groan  _ tumble from her lips.

"Is that for me?"

Mirai would tease, waiting as her partner caught her breath and mumbled something in Spanish. She could only imagine what it was – probably equal parts affection and cursing – but she knew not to push her luck. Reyna was stubborn sometimes. And Sage preferred turning her attention back to her taller, elegant lover's breasts, lifting them up and licking between them until chocolate flesh seemed to glow flushed with arousal.

Delilah knew what Mirai wanted – she made it annoyingly clear with each smug little grin that pulled at her petite lips, or the way her eyes would dance over her bare chest whenever she knew she was growing warm and moist from the attention. Her little niña was the type who enjoyed playing the role of her tormentor. But only as long as she got to see the side that no one else did. The Vampire that would lick her lips and pull her back down for passionate kisses. Who would guide her hands back to her chest and tell her to massage her in a way only  _ she  _ knew.

She knew Sage was hoping to see her long, lean legs part for her. To reach between her thighs and use nimble, tapered fingers to part her flesh. To show her little Chinese lover her sweet, delicate folds, slick and puffy from the attention. To tell Mirai that all of it was for  _ her  _ and because of how well she knew her and how dedicated she was to making her feel good.

Reyna licked her lips, watching with satisfaction as her cheeky partner stared. She wasn't so mean as to deny her. She just wanted her to work harder for her prize…

"There's more to me than just my tits,"

She said with amusement, watching down past her moist chest to where Mirai relaxed, stretching out beside her on the hotel bed.

"Are you going to ignore the rest of me?"

"Drama queen,"

Mirai giggled, rolling her eyes. But already she was moving again, crawling further down the bed and admiring the smooth, taut plains of Delilah's abdomen. Graceful little hills that hinted at abdominal muscles peeked at her and she favoured each of them with a kiss, skirting around the dip of her Mexican lover's naval before flicking it with her tongue. Immediately she was rewarded with a hiss and a wriggle beneath her and she smirked upwards.

"I'd hate for you to think I was ignoring you, love,"

She murmured, waggling her eyebrows before moving towards the foot of the bed. She could already see hints of Delilah’s arousal. The flesh of her peachy mons had grown glossy with dew. Shapely thighs pressed together, tensing perfectly sculpted muscles. And Sage ignored them, lingering just long enough to press a coy kiss against her warm flesh, ghosting close to where she knew her clit was steadily humming by now.

She could wait until those annoying walls of her slipped and she was begging to be touched. Until then there were long, toned legs to admire. Sage let her pale cheek hug Delilah's thigh, pressing affectionate kisses every few inches and enjoying every wriggle she got in return. Her fingers found the backs of her knees and she massaged, remembering from long ago just how much Reyna gently moaned and asked for more when she rubbed the flesh and muscles there.

Already she could see those cracks forming. Those fine, chiselled features were becoming more animated. Cheeks stretched as rose as Delilah tried to hide her arousal. Eyes fluttered shut as her legs were massaged, opening again a moment later to fix Mirai with a smouldering gaze.

And Mirai returned it playfully, lifting a petite foot and pressing her thumb across the muscles of the sole, pulling her tiny toes and massaging. Almost immediately Reyna would sniff and tremble, curling her feet and humming from the expert ministrations.

"How do you know these things?"

She hissed, forgetting how often they had wound up in bed like this. Mirai shrugged. She could have pointed out she was once a war messenger and was no stranger to appreciating a good foot rub on some days.

_ Or she could just screw with her a little. _

"I'm full of surprises, darlin',"

She said instead, grinning before pressing a chaste kiss against Delilah's sole. The Mexican woman had had enough, worrying at her lip as her thighs parted. Pale flesh became pink and wet, flushed and aroused and open for her little Chinese lover.

"Start surprising me  _ here _ , cariño,"

Delilah insisted, pressing her fingers against the folds of her pussy and swirling them slowly, sending tingles along her legs and into her belly.

Sage smirked and crawled back up on the bed, coming to rest at Reyna's familiar sex.

"You only had t' ask, Mrs Kimur"

She hummed, watching her with hooded, playful eyes as she leaned closer and licked across her wet pearl. Reyna arched and tensed and swore in Mexican.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Fifth Harmony - Worth It  
> Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj - Bang Bang  
> Katy Perry - Birthday  
> Tove Lo - Talking Body


	2. 3 Nights (Pt. 1)

Mazatlán

A renowned resort city in Mexico. Fitting, considering its most recent of guests.

After a long, fatiguing night spent on a commercial airliner, Mirai was more then happy to feel the sensation of solid ground beneath her feet.

Flying seemed to form a somewhat strange concoction of different feelings in the normally exuberant ex-Valorant agent. Her past wounds had never quite healed, and flying still stirred up the deepest of fears within her, mixed with the joys of familiarity and freedom.

Still, flying was still a point of contention within the former soldier and never ceased to dredge up the darkest of memories from her past incidents of fighter jet crashes.

Often times, Mirai found herself brutally awakened in the wee hours of the morning, sobbing into her sheets, as yet another nightmare of her past experiences in a fiery world latched on to her dreams. The dragon tattoo on her back ached as she remembered fire eating away her delicate flesh.

Yet throughout the last few years, there had been one unexpected light that shone in the deepest of recesses in Mirai's mind and heart. A former adversary, who had constantly tested the bounds of Valorant's strength and prowess as an Valorant agent, was now her guardian angel and comforter but most importantly, a wife.

_ Delilah _

How Mirai had been able to survive without her partner was a mystery to her. Almost like looking back on a past life, Mirai could barely recall her days before Reyna had entered in, giving the girl a renewed purpose in life. Together, like Yin and Yang, they perfectly complimented each other, each atoning for the other's weaknesses and downfalls.

Some say "opposites attract".

Mirai and Delilah were living proof of this fact.

Mirai, being an overly vivacious girl of short stature, lived and breathed fun. Always wearing a goofy grin, and constantly cracking cringeworthy jokes or puns, Mirai screamed "good time". Being of Chinese descent, as a teenage girl, Mirai, oddly, was always out of her home, either at house parties, or attempting to sneak into forbidden pubs and bars, sometimes succeeding, but more then often times failing, as her height gave away the secret of her age.

These consistent social situations moulded Mirai into the girl she was. On the streets of the world, image was everything, and Mirai, being known as the mother of her friend group, found little trouble making new friends and fitting into whatever circumstance she happened to find herself in.

Delilah however, settled on the complete other side of the social spectrum. As opposed to the roads of China, Delilah grew up in the quiet cobbled streets on Culiacán. A recluse as a girl, Reyna never quite expected her life to be the rollercoaster it now was.

Between having a stressful life with her late sister and her... unfortunate death, Delilah's life had moved in little more then a blur. Memories of that time were nigh on impossible to recall from the depths of her violated mind.

But over time Valorant had nurtured her back to a stable mindset, offering counselling and therapy as often as possible. Perhaps it was through these sessions that Reyna's friendship with Skye has blossomed into the now inseparable bond they shared. Reyna owed a great deal to the doctor for her unending kindness and compassion. Even now, Skye searched for a way to revert some of Delilah's abnormal Radiant features back to a more human type.

Sage had been highly opposed to the idea, claiming her sharp canines to be one of her most attractive and alluring features.  _ And to feel on her bare skin. _

Certainly, the couple were worlds apart. Yet is was for this very reason that they complemented each other so seamlessly. Valorant had quickly learned of their natural chemistry, and even sent them out together on various missions. The results surprised the entire faction.

Even operations which required at least a hundred foot soldiers could be accomplished within minutes with the duo at the reigns. Not one word was even so much as muttered over their comms as they fought, yet they worked as if it were choreographed and practiced a million times. The two knew each other like no other agent at Valorant. They could predict each other's movements seconds before the other acted, like an eloquent death tango, they dispatched their foes with such beauty and skill. They were to be feared by any opposition they faced, no matter how powerful.

It was with such feats, the couple quickly earned the code name "Reyge", which was only reserved for the most important of missions. After Valorant was disassembled, Reyna and Sage, instead of taking on combat once more, decided to take a permanent vacation.

This was the first time their vacation plans had wandered abroad. Mirai's childlike interest had piqued at the mention of her lover's homeland, and was constantly questioning her about her past in Mexico. Eventually, after becoming sick of the endless stream of questions, Reyna had decided to book a holiday to her home country, in hopes of quelling Mirai's constant interrogation.

Part of Delilah was admittedly curious herself. She hadn't step foot in Mexico since her destruction of the Mexican Cartel, and had attempted to avoid her past life. Yet, in this time of comfort and stable-being within herself, Reyna had deemed it acceptable to revisit her roots.

As they exited the plane, Mirai looked at her surroundings, a pang of disappointment striking her. She had expected.. More.

"What?"

Reyna inquired, noticing the crestfallen face of her partner.

"I dunno, babe."

Mirai replied, her face taking the form of utter confusion.

"Why isn't everyone as hot as yous?"

"Crikey"

Mirai mumbled, wandering into the hotel they had booked, craning her neck to take in her surroundings. A grandiose entrance greeted them, sculpted marble pillars supporting the decorated ceiling, approximately 60 feet above them, featuring beautiful depictions of Mexican history, reminiscent of Frida Kahlo's artworks. Beautiful limestone fountains sprouted from the ground, light blue mosaics holding the turquoise water in the basin below. Behind, lay two curved marble staircases which mirrored each other, numerous glass cased elevators test at the top, escorting guests towards their quarters. Below, the reception desk lay, carved from white granite.

Even Reyna, who's emotions rarely showed, felt her breath stolen from her as she attempted to take in the spectacle before her. Never in her years did she expect to live in such luxury. There definitely perks to her line of work.

Attempting to regain her natural composure, Delilah confidently strutted toward the desk, her mind deceiving itself into believing she was underdressed for such an environment, as she was still adorned in her comfort apparel from the long plane journey.

Mirai however, had completely abandoned whatever composure she possessed, her mouth agape as she gazed at her surroundings in awe.

Snapping out of her wonder trance, Mirai quickly tailed Delilah, following her to the reception desk.

"Hola"

The receptionist spoke calmly as even with Reyna's mere stare, she could already feel her legs turning into jelly.

"Buenos días, quería reservar una habitación para este sábado."

"¿Para cuántas personas?"

"Para dos, con uno camas y baño complete."

"Vale. ¿Le incluimos el desayuno?"

"No, gracias, sólo el alojamiento."

"Si quieres subir, la habitación está lista. Sí, ahora iré."

The receptionist, a beautiful blonde woman, finished her chat with Reyna in their mother tongue, taking her name and details, eventually handing her a white key card with a polite, business-like smile.

Together, the couple carefully ascended the curved steps, attempting to look as refined as possible. Reaching the elevator at the top of the staircase, the two women stepped inside, watching the glass doors glide shut behind them. Slithering past the few people inside the elevator Reyna stood maliciously behind Sage as the room began to ascend. What Sage couldn't see was Reyna's lusty smile as her hands suddenly dove behind Sage's shirt and right towards a pair of familiar meaty orbs, massaging them whilst Sage stifled a prolonged groan long enough to stop the people in front of them from noticing.

"Remember when that time when I killed that Kingdom scientist and we got onto an elevator after receiving an order from Breach? Let's recreate that"

"D-D-Delilah! N-Now?! We're in a publ-"

Reyna silenced her tongue as her index finger found its way to Sage's nipple causing her to bite down on her lower lip hard enough to taste iron in her mouth. She had to use all of her willpower to stop herself from moaning out loud and her eyes from rolling to the back of her head.

Reyna glanced towards her partner, flashing a quick smirk, causing Mirai's heart to beat faster.

"Too bad we left the vibrating panties back home. We would have such a great time when we go get dinner, wouldn't you think so?"

"R-Reyna... I-I'm gonna come if you d-don't s-s-stop!"

"Use my real name and I'll stop"

"D-Delilah! P-Please!"

Smirking, Reyna slid her hands out of the shirt as the elevator released its familiar ding. They arrived at their floor.

"202"

Delilah mumbled to herself, glancing down at the white keycard she held in her hand, idly wandering down the corridor. The room in question was only a few strides down away and only took the couple seconds to find. 

It was thanks to Mirai's tiredness that she had not already zipped down the long corridor, something Reyna was secretly glad of. They had to keep impressions up for fear of drawing too much attention. Mirai had become a household figure to the world, being one of the many faces of the now destroyed Valorant Organization, and would surely be recognised if she did anything too out of the ordinary. But for the most part she was left alone, members of the public either thinking she was a crazed cosplayer, or simply not caring.

Sliding the white keycard into to the small slit in the wall beside their door, a faint mechanical noise was heard, and the beautifully crafted mahogany door opened before them on its own accord.

The room that greeted them was breathtaking. Large bay windows towards the back of the room gave a stunning view of the iconic Eiffel Tower with a luxurious queen bed positioned parallel to the landscape. The room, painted a faint cream color, gave an air of warmth and comfort and perfectly complemented the satin white sheets of their bed. Large oak drawers were positioned beside their bed, with another sitting adjacent, supporting a massive television. A door off to the right led them into an ensuite bathroom, mostly veneered in marble, featuring a 5 square foot bath in the centre.

Mirai whistled in approval, eagerly scampering towards the bed and jumping on back first, letting the opulent mattress envelop her.

"Now this I can get behind"

She wistfully said, tilting her head up to look at her partner. Reyna, cracking one of her signature smirks, something that had become less and less of a rarity, carried her suitcase over to the drawers, and began unpacking.

"Perhaps we should do this more often,"

She commented, her thick Mexican accent accentuating her vowels, something Mirai found incredibly attractive.

"'ey, how about some dinner? I'm starved!"

She exclaimed, throwing her arms into the air, still watching as her partner did all of the labour.

Sighing, Delilah stood up to face Mirai, leaning against the wall beside her.

"Alright, dinner it is. One hour til departure. You take bathroom, I'll take this room. Get yourself looking beautiful for me"

She said, bending over and pinching Mirai's cheek, her army like tone laced with seduction.

Blushing, Mirai rose from the bed and bashfully walked towards the bathroom door, picking up her suitcase on the way.

She seemed to mumble something under her breath, but was not loud enough for Delilah to hear.

"What was that?"

Reyna cooed, teasing her partner relentlessly.

Mirai whimpered as she quickly shut the door, attempting to get away from her oppressor.

Sighing, she began to get ready for the night ahead, trying with all her might to ignore the spark that had ignited in her arousal.

Exactly one hour later, Mirai opened the door of the ensuite and steeped out, clad in an elegant, chic red dress which hugged her curvaceous body and trailed down to her knees. Her necklace, a shining amethyst gemstone, beautifully complemented her raven eyes, as well as her white and gold heeled sandals.

Wearing limited makeup, she opted for a dark rouge lipstick, a colour she had never experimented with, yet always found attractive on other women. Mirai, who rarely dressed in formal attire, stole a breath from Delilah, as she turned around to greet her partner.

"Ay, Dios mío!" 

Delilah managed as her eyes feasted themselves upon the sight before her. Never before had Reyna been so captivated by her partner before.

Delilah, who too had finished getting ready, had also decided upon a pitch-black suit with a red tie and sweater, the black material tight against her voluptuous curves, tanned skin seamlessly complementing it's colour. Her piercing purple eyes, sparked like electric as they settled upon Mirai.

"Um.. Heh heh"

Mirai nervously chuckled as she shivered from the lustful, penetrative gaze her partner gave her.

Shaking her head, Reyna snapped out of her trance and advanced towards Mirai, hips swaying, her eyes never leaving her figure.

Gently, she snaked her arms around her lover's hips, Mirai answering by doing the same around Delilah's neck, pulling her in for a delicate kiss.

"You look bloody gorgeous"

Mirai whispered, her mouth dangerously close to her lover's ear. Any closer, and all their work would be for naught.

"As do you, mi reina"

Delilah replied, gently squeezing Mirai's waist, a wistful hum escaping the Chinese's lips.

"Come on, let's go, 'ey?"

Mirai said, pulling Delilah close for a quick peck on her lips before detaching herself from her wife.

Mirai chuckled.

" 'Mon, let's get goin'!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> The Chainsmokers, Kelsea Ballerini - This Feeling  
> Dua Lipa - Blow Your Mind (Mwah)  
> Camila Cabello, Young Thug - Havana  
> Christina Perri - A Thousand Years


	3. 3 Nights (Pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty NSFW all the way, brothers. Ye be warned

Light flooded the dark apartment as the door was flung open, the couple ignoring the light switch as they entered, slamming the door behind them, enveloping them in darkness.

Sloppily guiding each other towards the general vicinity of the bed, the couple craved each other's touch, their lips crashing passionately together, both desperate for the release of the built-up tension within themselves.

Now closer to the bed, Delilah hooked her leg behind Mirai's toned calves, gently pushing her onto the queen bed while she herself remained standing, sensually gliding her hands up and down the Chinese's sides.

Slowly she retracted her hands from her lover, trailing her fingernails down Mirai's thighs as she did so, earning a moan from the smaller girl as the sensation sent electric down her spine, a whimper escaping her lips as she felt Reyna's hands leave her needy body.

Mirai eagerly propped herself up on her elbows to behold the full beauty of her lover, her body shivering from withdrawal at the lack of warmth that only her partner could give, her hazy eyes lustfully meeting Delilah's.

Wearing a bewitching smirk, Reyna slowly turned away from her audience of one, raising her hand towards the top of her chest and grabbing hold of one of her buttons, slowly peeling each button away at an excruciatingly slow rate. Once reaching the bottom of her shirt, she returned her hands to her shoulders, leisurely peeling the fabric away from her.

Still wearing her black oxford shoes, Reyna stepped out of her suit and shirt, and seductively sauntered towards the drawn curtains, never so much as glancing behind her. She briskly opened them, moonlight bathing her tanned skin, the bewitching light radiating from the full moon caressing and accentuating her voluptuous curves.

Gazing out towards the view for an agonisingly long time, Reyna failed to suppress a smirk as she felt Mirai's eyes boring into her back. Deciding to resume her show, Delilah turned towards her audience, drifting enticingly towards her gormless partner, slowly placing one foot in front of the other, the heels of her shoes deliberately dragging across the floor, causing a faint scraping noise.

Once standing directly in front of her lover, she once again turned on her heel, her hands now reaching up towards the clasp of her bra. Sensually rolling her body, a faint click was heard, the bra straps slackening. Slowly pulling the material from her shoulders, Delilah hooked her arm around her torso and turned, her arm keeping her bra in place, which still covered her modesty, a smirk still playing upon her face.

A pleading whine once again escaped Mirai's lips as she felt her sex viciously ignite at the sight of her partner so close to being nude.

Reyna, still taking care to cover her breasts with her unclasped bra, began to slide the article of clothing up and down slightly, the friction causing her nipples to fully stiffen, her already aroused femininity now tensing uncontrollable, nectar beginning to slowly drip down her thighs.

Lightly throwing her head back, Delilah teasingly moaned as she began to rub her laced panties in small circles using her free hand, eliciting a small sigh of frustration and lust from the girl across from her.

Gradually slowing her lewd actions, Delilah lowered her head, narrowed purple eyes meeting raven. Peeling away her bra at an agonisingly slow pace, Delilah could not withhold her mirth, as she seductively giggled, her breasts now fully exposed, bronzed peaks stiff, her bra hanging limply in an outstretched hand. Playfully, Delilah flicked her wrist, causing the discarded item of clothing to land on her audience's lap.

Slowly meandering towards the bed, each step causing a clicking sound from her heels, Reyna kept her eyes trained upon her prey, never breaking eye contact like a vicious predator.

Placing one knee on the bed, she playfully placed one finger on Mirai's chest, gently, yet authoritatively pushing her to lie on the lush bed.

Now bringing her other knee onto the bed, Reyna crawled onto the bed, her face wearing a seductively innocent face, her eyes pouting in her mock chastity.

Such a look ignited Sage's arousal like a billowing flame, her knuckles white from gripping onto the sheets too hard as she attempted to control herself and her actions. Despite her addled mind, she would not break.

Reyna, who had now gotten her partner to lie flat against the bed, straddled Mirai, rolling her hips deeply into her torso, the contact, making her throw her head back as she lustfully moaned.

Returning her gaze to charcoal eyes, Reyna took Mirai's hands and placed them upon her hips, once again rolling her body.

Sage's already dumbstruck mind melted as she felt the contact, noticing the dampness on her torso from her partner, seemingly leaking through her black lace panties.

"Goddamn, Caramel"

Sage managed in a faint whisper, running her hand over every conceivable inch of her lover's body, eventually letting her fingers sink into her voluptuous ass.

"You like what you see, mi amor?"

Mirai had never witnessed her partner in such an alluring state of total dominance. The artificial lights stuck her body, caressing her trademark tattooed skin, casting her ample curves in bewitching shadows. Her eyes pierced through the dark, the light causing them to shimmer in lust.

Arcing her back, Delilah brought her face towards Mirai's, lips hovering dangerously close to her neck.

"You are mine tonight, si?"

"Oh God yes"

Mirai whimpered, eliciting a faint chuckle from her partner's lips.

Sensually, she licked her submissive's neck, gently sucking on her elusive Adam's apple before slowly beginning to undress her pet.

"Then let us begin"

Quickly balling up her lover's panties, she stuffed them into Mirai's mouth and applied a muzzle so she couldn't spit them out. She knelt back down on the bed.

"You know our safeword, si?"

Reyna purrs right into her ears and Mirai's eyes snap open.

Delilah's hands trailed down her body as Mirai was stuck there watching. Now is not the time to weigh herself down with the specifics of their strange arrangement, not when Mirai's been so bloody horny for the last week and Reyna knows just how to make her sing.

Without waiting for an answer, Delilah made another indiscernible noise in the back of her throat. With no fabric to protect her, Mirai feels the full bite of Reyna's nails digging into the insides of her thighs hard enough to leave red crescents. They hold her still as Delilah slowly rolls her hips forward and she can feel the unexpected smooth length of silicon slip between her legs.

_ When did- _

The thought flies out of Mirai's mind when the bulbous head of the toy catches her swollen clit. She sags against her bounds, her knees giving out with a violent shiver coursing through her body.

" _ Fuck _ ."

Mirai rasps out, already out of breath, out of her mind and trying to chase after the delightful sensation but the nails dig deeper, pull her flush against Reyna's front. Her throat runs dry when she finally looks down and catches sight of the strap on.

"Fuck, Delilah, I can't take  _ that." _

It is no longer a question of whether or not she wanted to. The toy is not the one they used to fool around with. This one is slightly longer, thicker; in all actuality, it's not much bigger than the original, but for the amount of time that has passed between them.

Fingers grip the sides of Mirai's chin, forcing her head up and tilting it back, eyes pointed to the ceiling. She can't see it but she  _ feels  _ Reyna's rubber cock slide back and forth, maddeningly slow, her thighs pressing together in hopes to finding some sort of friction. The whimpers wrench their way from Sage's mouth and trickle out with every ragged breath.

"You can, and you  _ will _ "

Reyna says with a snap of her hips, her pelvis slapping against Mirai's bare ass.

_ Oohh fuck. _

With knees like jelly, Mirai staggers forward when Delilah once again cuts all contact, half a breath as she's forced to try supporting herself on her own trembling legs. The smell of both their arousals is heavy in the air, bringing some semblance of comfort.

A faint whistle in the air is the only warning Mirai gets before blazing pain stretches across her ass. Her entire body jerks forward and a yelp of surprise soars from her lips. Not a moment later, another whistle and a crack the riding crop strikes against the other cheek. It hurts, yes, but the pain is familiar with the warm afterglow like the shadow of the impact lingering on her skin.

The small swatch of leather drags across the hastily, reddening marks, winding Mirai's gut tighter and tighter in anticipation of the next strike. It lifts, her breath is held, but the instruments is just brought down light as a feather onto the other mark as if tracing it; an artist with a brush that leaves behind strokes that sting.

Mirai doesn't realize that the crop has been lifted until it's too late.

Another soft whistle, another strike this time across both cheeks.

"Ah-ah, fuck."

Sage curses, sucking in air through clenched teeth and twitching lips. Her head lolls forward, neck relaxing and she closes her eyes trying to focus on the whispers that'll warn her of the next hit.

_ One breath _

Two and she is torn between staying tense and relaxing for her legs are beginning to cramp and-

_ Whistle _

_ Crack _

"Ahhhh!"

Screams Mirai, still caught by surprise and feet reflexively bringing her forward to escape from the pain. She gets as far as her lover will allow her before Mirai buries her face into the crook of her arm, panting softly and trying to hear anything over the pounding of her heart.

"Had enough?"

Reyna teases with both her words and the tip of the crop tapping lightly against Mirai's clit peaking beyond its hood; it's as close to a 'check-in' that Reyna would ever verbally go.

"Would like a little warning, yeah."

Sage mumbles, peeking back to see Reyna's amused smirk. Her eyes dart down at the toy that still hangs between Delilah's leg and she swallows thickly.

"Now where's the fun in that?"

Delilah says, a rare joke and she just continues to start at Mirai's face.

It confuses Mirai at first until the taps on her clit get harder with each passing one; not hard enough to really hurt but it takes everything Mirai has not to give in and flinch away. That would be giving up satisfaction and the night is still young. With a slight hum, Delilah switches from the light taps to holding the crop against Mirai's slit; the flexible wand gives slightly but that just adds onto the pressure on such a narrow surface area.

Like the rubber cock before it, Reyna slides the crop forward, a pause, before pulling it back until the switch of leather rests against Mirai's clit. Wetness clings onto the entire length, enough to turn its surface shiny and drip down onto the floor. Mirai's cunt clenches onto nothing and lord she wants nothing more than Reyna's fingers inside of her.

That or…

"Use your words, cariño."

Delilah says, pulling the riding crop away and giving Mirai's ass another smack. Ripped from her stupor, Mirai tears her eyes away from Delilah's cock with embarrassment from getting caught staring searing across her face.

She knows this game and knows what's expected of her. It always comes down to two things; pride and lust.

Her moment of hesitation earns her another sharp strike and once more her walls clench; wishing, wanting,  _ needing.  _ She chews her lip between her teeth, her tongue looser and allowing soft moans to tumble out when Reyna keeps bringing the riding crop down alternating between her cheeks. Twisting away does nothing as they find their targets just as easily. The hot pain gets only a moment to ease away to warmth before another strike hits.

"Reyna…"

Mirai groans out, her mind a haze of pain and arousal; of stubbornness and submission and dear  _ lord- _

"Ask."

Something so simple sounds so impossible.

"Please, caramel,"

The words get lost in Mirai's throat with the return of Reyna's hands roaming the tender skin of her ass; kneading, scraping, digging in before gliding to the front of her legs and pulling her back.

"Louder."

Husky, low, right in her ear and so close that Mirai can feel Reyna's breath that is now warmer; a pulse beating harder and faster.

And the heavy dildo is sliding back and forth between her folds. And Mirai is grinding down, back, anything to get her more, more,  _ more. _

"Please, Delilah. Fuck me,"

She gasps with her eyes entranced by the mind-numbing sight of the cock right there, so close to where she needs it and already coated with her arousal.

"Better."

Delilah says while teasing her hips back. After a moment of confusion when Reyna pulls away for the third time, Mirai braces herself to feel the toy bury into her but instead hears the familiar sound of a bottle being uncapped. She swears she doesn't need it, insulting, almost wants to berate Reyna for wasting time. But it's a gesture and deep down a warm ache seizes Mirai's heart. The head of the toy is back brushing against Mirai's trembling snatch and Reyna asks.

"Are you ready for me, cariño?"

She says it almost lovingly.

"Yes, yes, fuck. Slow, please."

The words come bubbling out, half needy and half hesitant. It's daunting; a month of nothing but her own fingers and rutting against her pillow in the night. But eagerness is a decent substitute for confidence. She almost expects Delilah to ignore her request.

Delilah's fingers come around, their pads rubbing all along Mirai's dripping sex as the head of her cock teases at her slit. Slowly, gently it begins to ease in, bullying its way past Mirai's tightness despite how relaxed she is.

"Ohhhh _ hh-ah  _ fuck,"

Mirai's breath becomes a sigh, then a moan, and then incomprehensible noises as her mind becomes mush.

It's only the head and she already feels so full, the stretch is both painful and lovely. Centimeter by tantalizing centimeter, the solid rubber slips in. Reyna's hand at the underside of her jaw, supporting her head up while the other rubs circles around her clit making the penetration more bearable.

"Fuck, fuck,"

She's cursing up a storm. It feels so much bigger than it looked, her arms jerking against the bonds out of reflex.

"Caramel."

"You can take it."

Reyna murmurs into Mirai's neck, the words as breathless as hers.

"That's not the problem,"

She quips back, a low groan rumbling from her throat when she feels Reyna bottom out, pelvis flush against her tender ass. So much, so much; the situation, the feeling of Delilah pressed up against her back with her cock buried in her cunt. And her with her arms tied up above her head, unable to defend herself; helpless at the mercy of Reyna.

"Fuck, fuck, better start moving if you don't want me to come like this."

Delilah chuckles against her and Mirai can't see how Reyna's shoulders relax just a hair after the taunt. In half the time it took to sheath herself into Mirai's blistering heat, the toy is withdrawn until only the head remains inside her before plunging back in. The angle is unfamiliar, Sage's feet and shoulders already aching, but fuck her back arches and teeth clench as stars dance across her vision.

In and out, the tempo rising, Delilah's hips shifting angles, searching, until-

"Fuck!"

Mirai's moans at the top of her lungs, walls clenching hard when the strapon hits the right spot.

"R-right there, love. Please- _ fuck." _

She doesn't need to tell Delilah twice, the angle now committed to memory and Reyna thrusts hit their mark every time. Faster, harder, until the sensations transmitted to her clit build up, higher and higher. She can feel Mirai's pulse, throbbing down the length; how her walls cling and try to pull her in deeper. The room is filled with the sounds of their moans, shallow breaths, and the lewd slapping of skin.

Teeth sink into the side of Sage's neck hard enough to leave marks, her hands grip harder into Mirai's flesh, holding on for dear life. Delilah works past the exhaustion rapidly settling into her bones and she grits her teeth to push  _ harder.  _ The coil in her gut winds tighter, tighter; a month of nothing, of denial, of…

"Mirai,"

Delilah gasps out, where embarrassment would be seated in her mind for getting this close this quickly, all she feels is...is.

"Tu amor vale mas que millones de estrellas"

She says it knowing that Mirai will never understand.

Her thrusts become jerky, unable to hold onto a proper rhythm and her hips snap to hold herself buried deep in Mirai's sex. She can feel her own wetness coating the inside of her legs that shake as a shudder rips through her body. The waves crash over, their abrupt arrival knocking the air right out of her lungs.

The seconds tick by, punctuated by their soft moans and attempts to catch their breaths. As the afterglow begins to settle in, Mirai shifts against Delilah's grip. With a keening groan, she grinds herself down.

"You,"

Delilah can barely say the word, her vision swimming and mind muddled by the exertion.

"You haven't come yet."

"Don't worry 'bout it, caramel,"

Mirai whispers high and needy as she tries to ride herself to completion. The position is awkward, the restraints keeping from moving very much and it becomes obvious that she isn't making much ground.

A sharp moan sounds from Mirai's lips as Delilah’s hand quickly come back down to her clit. The fingers are clumsy at first, pawing blindly before a decent rhythm is found that Mirai is able keep up with. One hand rubs and gently rolls the sensitive bud, sending tingles that burst outwards over frayed nerves. The other settles on either sides of the toy, spreading Mirai's folds as Delilah slowly resumes her thrusting.

The burn in her lungs is new, irritating and downright annoying; her heart feels as though it would suddenly stop beating and yet Reyna presses on.

"You should rest,"

Moans Mirai, the suggestion halfhearted as dear fucking lord she is so close, she can feel herself clenching down hard, thrusting back with her sex aching for release.

"Do not tell me what to do,"

Delilah growls back. The words take too much air and focus and she struggles to remain focused.

Mirai's moans become higher, the words lost into a storm of half-formed curses and begging.  _ Right there, fuck, I'm so close please.  _ Delilah's fingers claw into Mirai's skin just like the air that claws at her throat and every last dreg of her energy is poured into hitting the spot that makes Mirai's back arch more, her toes curl tighter, her noises louder and louder until-

"Reyna,  _ fuck, Reyna" _

Mirai almost lifts herself up by the bonds above her head but Reyna's hand keep her planted and still as she keeps thrusting, rubbing, milking every drop of Sage's climax out. Until Mirai begins to sag into Delilah's grip, her pants growing quieter. The toy is eased out, extracting another string of whimpers and sighs from Mirai's mouth. In the blink of an eye, the bonds are cut and Delilah groans in surprise as her shoulders are finally allowed to relax.

Reyna is there to keep her from falling. The once confident hands act as if they are lost, trying to ease her down as gently as possible. After a failed attempt, they shift and Mirai finds herself being carried bridal style, face pressed up into Delilah's collarbone.

She'd give a quip if her breath would just cooperate.

But she can barely keep awake between the swaying of Reyna's steps and the slow  _ thump, thump, thump  _ of Delilah's heart; a sound she wishes she could hear more often. Onto a mattress that she sinks into, and after a moment and the rustling of fabric, sinks beside her with an arm coming around her back to pull her closer.

"Hey, love."

Mirai mumbles out, the warm buzz of the afterglow settling in but her eyes stay open, question resurfacing against the drowsiness trying to drown her. Delilah makes some kind of noise in the back of her throat but doesn't stir any further.

Mira began to gradually closes her eyes, her hands fitting into the small of Delilah's back and holding tight. She breaths in the scent that is here now, the feel of skin beneath her fingertips, the painted backdrop of security she feels wrapped up and in this moment.

Mirai drifts off to sleep knowing that she will wake up alone as she always does.

\---

Light streaked though the windows as the sun rose over the horizon, the shadow of the nearby buildings unfortunately just missing the lover's window.

Mirai wearily stretched, feeling her joints loosen with a resounding pop. An attractive warmth to her right forced her to stay within the confines of the bed. Not that she minded.

Delilah's arms were entangled around Mirai's waist, pulling her as close a physically possible. Her hair splayed messily across her pillows as Mirai tenderly stoked the woman's head, sighing with bliss.

Kissing the top of her forehead seemed to rouse Reyna, as she groaned, her mind breaking back to consciousness.

"Mornin' Caramel"

Hola, mi corazon"

Delilah replied, pulling Mirai closer in an attempt to shorten the already tiny gap between the two women, nuzzling her head in the crook of Mirai's neck.

A comfortable silence filled the room, the two women fully content with their current situations as they took in their surrounds using all their senses; listening to the faint busy traffic below them, tasting the fresh summer air, feeling each other's warmth radiating from their bodies as they both continued to reside in the afterglow of the previous night.

Mirai moved her head from Delilah, turning her body to face the woman she cared for so much.

Reyna, noticing her partner's movements, wearily opened her eyes, to be greeted by raven ones, staring intently into her soul.

"I don't think I tell you this enough darling, but... I love you. God Delilah, I love you so much."

Never before had Reyna seen her lover's eyes so sincere, so filled with adulation.

Tears welled up within Delilah's purple eyes, threatening to overflow with such contentment.

It was not that Mirai never told that, quite the opposite in fact. Mirai told her everyday of her unending affection. Yet in such a setting, where the world seemed to support no evil, where all was pure and right, such words prodded her heart deeply.

Her heart.

Something she had thought fate had viciously broken, rendering her unable to feel for the rest of her God-forsaken life.

Mirai had proved her wrong. I this moment. And every second she was with her.

"Gracias, Mirai"

Delilah whispered, her voice wavering slightly.

"Cada diํa te quiero mas"

Mirai pulled the girl closer, bringing her into a warm, gentle kiss before hugging her shoulders, tracing her fingertip down Reyna’s spine as she felt her partner silently cry into her shoulder, tears of joy and happiness running down her skin.

After an hour of sincere and gentle cuddling, Delilah's tears slowly subsiding, replaced by content sighs, Mirai's head perked up, Reyna's head tilting to meet her gaze.

"Soooooo,"

She tried.

Delilah, already expecting her next words, lowered her head back down into the crook of Mirai's neck, a smirk playing upon her lips.

"Five more minutes"

She cooed.

"Then we shall have a round two"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Ava Max - Naked  
> George Michael - Freeek! '04  
> Tove Lo - Talking Body  
> Simon Curtis - Flesh  
> Taylor Swift - Lover  
> One Direction - Perfect and Night Changes


	4. Honorable

_Let's see…"_

_The doctor checks his clipboard. He seems invested into the clipboard more than the Mexican woman lying down on the table. He glances down at her and frowns._

_"Not enough, it seems…"_

_He mumbles. He starts to push the table out of the room and into a big white hallway. The Mexican woman's eyes widens, knowing where she's going._

_"No! No, Por favor! Don't take me there! Tener compasión!"_

The doctor clicks his tongue.

"Non, non, ma chère. We must keep going with the experiments…"

The doctor pushes the hospital bed through the flapping doors and stops her right in the middle of a single, swinging light. The woman's chest heaves with fear and panic. Three doctors come into her peripheral view and she trembles.

"Hello, Delilah. Are we ready to begin?"

One of the asks. Another takes out a huge medical instrument from another room, and it turns on.

Reyna's eyes widen. She struggles to move, but to no avail. Leather belt straps pin her ankles and wrists down. She can't escape. She won't see her family ever again… She starts to sob uncontrollably. A doctor hushes her and smiles sincerely.

"Celà ne prendra pas beaucoup de temps."

He whispers. But Delilah and the doctors both know that that's a lie. This could take hours… and hours… and hours of torture.

The machine comes closer to the Mexican woman and the doctors insert needles onto the ends of the tubes.

"We will see how long you hold out… Please use the best of your abilities to stay alive."

He says as he and his colleagues begin to inject her on her wrists, the crook of the elbows, and other places she doesn't even know. She sees a female doctor places her hand on a big handle. The patient screams.

" **NO, PLEASE DON'T DO IT!"**

_But it was too late. As soon as the doctor flips the switch, a surge of painful energy inserts her body._

_\---_

Delilah's eyes shot open and she sits up. She feels her face, her forearms. The sweat runs down her face, her breathing heavy from her nightmare. She looks to the side to see Mirai, surprised. The olive-skinned woman is on the verge of tears, but she takes deep breathes as she lies back down. She hears the bed creak and she turns her head. Mirai lies beside her and wraps her arm around her bare stomach.

"Did you have a bad dream, Caramel?"

She asks.

Delilah took a deep breath, and she turns to her.

"A bit, yes… But I'm fine now, cariño"

She reassures her. She kisses her head before she plays with the woman's hair. Mirai smiles, her hands roam around her back. They enjoy their time together in bed until Mirai twitches as soon as the other woman touches her stitches.

"It still hurts?"

"No, I'm fine…"

Mirai whispers.

"Was just surprised."

Delilah nods before she sits up.

"I will make breakfast."

She says. She puts on her lingerie and heads downstairs. She hums as heads to the kitchen, feeling another set of eyes watching her from behind. She turns her head to see Mirai, face slightly pink. She looks up, and laughs nervously at her.

"I-I wasn't looking at…!"

She tries to explain, but Delilah only giggles.

She opens the fridge door and pulls out some bacon and eggs, then grabs a pan and a bottle of oil. She sets the stove to medium and she pours in a little bit of oil. She puts on an apron and she lets the pan heat up. Mirai watches from behind, but she was a head and a bit shorter than her so she just wraps her arms around the other girl and rests her head on her back.

Delilah shakes her head.

"Cariño,"

She calls out.

"I don't want the oil to spill onto your arms."

"Oh!"

Mirai responds, pulling her arms away.

"Y-you're right!"

She laughs again. She steps back, knocking back a vase. She gasps and she zooms behind, catching its fall. She lets out a relieved sigh. She looks up, seeing that Delilah didn't notice. _Odd… I wonder if she's thinking about her nightmare._ She thinks to herself. She sets the vase back and begins to set plates and utensils for the both of them.

"Ah, right. Sa-"

She pauses, and clears her throat.

"Mirai. I will be heading out today."

"Oh? I'll come with-"

"No, it's okay. I think you should rest. Your body would probably enjoy some relaxation."

She turns her head to the side to look at her, and she smiles.

"No, it's okay. I think you should rest. Your body would probably enjoy some relaxation. Someone needs to look after Melinoë"

Delilah turns her head to the side to look at her, and she smiles.

Mirai doesn't like that smile. Her smile seems so… so sad, so empty. Mirai nods in defeat.

"Alright… How about a date later tonight?"

"A date? Si, we can certainly do that."

Delilah says, and she pours bacon and eggs on their plates. Mirai smiles happily as she starts to eat. She glances at Delilah, who's looking out the window, not really interested in eating.

  
  


\---

**Prior to Reyna’s initiation to Valorant**

The Vampire stands on top of a roof, somewhere not necessarily close to Rabat. Her mind filled with possibilities that she hopes it wouldn't happen, since Delilah remembers all the time she's had in the "experimenting" base.

She sighs, closing her eyes. She has to be The Vampire, and go home as Delilah.

"I see you haven't finished your mission."

A raspy voice fills the silence. The Vampire's eyes open and she turns around, seeing Omen and Viper. She grits her teeth.

"You have been slacking, Reyna. This is not like you."

The doctor scoffs with a smug smile on his face.

"Are you getting attached to the girl?"

"I just need more time."

"Time?"

Reaper repeats.

"You _had_ time _."_

"I don't think she understands the importance of this mission."

The doctor says. Sabine looks at Reyna with the same smile, and she clicks her tongue.

"This is no good, my little duckling. I think you should be taken back to the hospital to get checked."

Hospital… Reyna suffered there. She doesn't want to go back there.

"...I will do it… tonight."

She informs. She looks away, holding her rifle against her shoulder.

"We will watch you,"

The doctor hums.

"In case you choose not to, or you choose to go against us. Omen will do the job for you."

The Vampire inhales… And she nods. _Those fucking two will be the death of her one day._ She turns away and uses her grappling hook to swing off.

"I don't think she will do it,"

The doctor says as she watched the woman leave. Sabine looks at the man in black and smiles.

"Any wrong move she does… Kill her. And her friend."

She says as she turns to leave. Omen stares off into the city, and he slowly disintegrates into black mist.

Delilah stops by the flower shop and looks around the shop. She looks at the owner who came up to her and kindly refuses her help. She takes one white and pink mixed roses and a vase. She heads to the counter and pays for it. The two smile at each other. Delilah leaves the shop and heads to a stranger's home.

As soon as she comes through the front door, she sees Sage asleep on the couch. She smiles and giggles quietly. She heads to put water into the base and roses in it. She places them on the center of the dining table and she kneels in front of the black-haired woman. She strokes her hair, and gave her forehead a kiss.

Delilah then frowns. She can't do this… She really can't kill her… Well, The Vampire could, not Delilah. But… She just really can't do this. She closes her eyes and rests her head beside Mirai's.

\---

Delilah wakes up, and she yawns. She feels her hair being stroked, she looks up and sees Mirai, with a big smile on her face. Somehow the smile on her face makes Reyna's chest feel heavier, both in a good and bad way. She loves that smile so much, but her past...

Mirai kisses her cheek, and smiles.

"Izzie called me. She said she's in the area. Should we go see her? She'd be glad to see you like this, Delilah!"

She suggests, pretty excited about it. Delilah looks at her, thinking about it for a second.

"... No, I'll pass on that one."

She smiles.

"But you can go ahead and see her. I'll just be home. I'll take care of Melinoë"

"What if I bring her here?"

"Mi corazon, I think it's best that we go shopping with her."

Delilah smiles. She doesn't want the 39-year-old to figure out why she doesn't want to go out. In the end, pouts as she admits defeat. Mirai smiles at the older woman, gives her a kiss on the cheek, and goes upstairs to get dressed. Delilah watches her, and she frowns. How did she have this kind of relationship for this long considering her past, it might creep up on her within mere seconds…

As soon as Mirai finishes, and exits her home, Delilah puts on her Vampire outfit. She removes her wedding ring and places it right next to her bedside cupboard, then reaches for Mirai's ring and pulls back a little, seeing Sage's ring. Delilah smiles sadly before picking up the ring, giving it a kiss. She sets it down, then she leans on her hand onto the hairdresser. She hangs her head down, her shoulders shrugs, and her body trembles.

"Delilah, Me arrepiento de lo que he hecho."

The Vampire's breath hitches, holding back the water in her eyes.

"Lo siento mucho, Delilah"

She closes her eyes as she grips onto the handle of her infamous silenced pistol.

"Vous serez la fin de moi."

Delilah thinks with disappointment, as if talking to Delilah. This makes Delilah's heart become heavy.

"Adios, Delilah"

The Vampire bids her farewell, then exits the house through the window.

\---

Mirai has been walking with Sova, yet she feels like she's being watched. She doesn't understand it, but she doesn't mind either. She looks at Sova, who seems to have been talking about how tiring work has been. She looks away, taking the time to admire the things around her.

The birds chirp happily, nuzzling up against one another before hopping into their nest. The sound of the wind softly blowing against her skin. Seeing the waves gently rolling at the canal, with the disturbed ripples as people row their boats. She sees little squirrels, scurrying pass to get acorns.

"Mirai?"

Mirai looks over, seeing Sova with a smile.

"Don't be dozing off now, we still have to buy more things."

She giggles. The time jumper laughs a little as she scratches the back of her head.

"Right, sorry. The place is just so beautiful!"

She grins.

"I know, but the longer we waste time, the less we can check around the store!"

Sova says, giggling. Mirai laughs; she always loved her little… jokes. If they were jokes to begin with…

The two got into the store, and they basically shopped until the store had to close for the evening. Sova walks out with several new bags. Mirai honestly didn't think Sova would be the fashionista type… _I guess wearing her archer's costume can be boring after awhile…_ Mirai thinks to herself.

Mirai seems to be lost in thought, until she hears Sova yell her name. She snaps out of it, and looks at the other man.

"Watch out!"

Sova screams.

Watch out where?

Mirai didn't have much time to react until a huge force pushed her back, making her fall to the floor. Her face smack against somebody's gun, and it really hurt her nose. She groans, her eyes unfocusing due to the impact. She slowly sits up and rubs her head.

Why is her hand moist?

She looks at her hand, focusing on the deep red color imprinted on her hand. Her eyes widen and she pulls back, pushing whatever on her away. Her chest heaves, shocked to see blood on her body. But that doesn't compare to who she saw bleeding on the floor.

Her heart drops.

"Delilah?!"

She screams, scurrying to her and she grabs her back. She checks her eyes, in fear. They're wide open, pupils small, like trying to see a star in the middle of a dark night. No, she can't be?! She can't allow it! Not again…!

She finds the source of her wound, which is on her stomach, and pushes deep into it so no more blood oozes out. She looks at the other woman, whispering her name over and over and over.

"Mi corazon..."

The Vampire coughs. She looks up to see Mirai crying. She slowly reaches her face with her hand, and smiles with relief.

"Qué alivio"

"What happened to you?! Who did this?!"

Mirai yells. She wants answers! Why is this happening to her now?!

"Shhh..."

The older woman hushes her, wiping away her tears. All of a sudden, Sova runs towards them and tackles Mirai down. As soon as she falls, a gunshot could be heard. Sova gasps heavily, tired from running.

"Jeez…! He won't quit!"

The Vampire hears what she said, and she tries to sit up. She winces and screams in agony. She keeps trying to get up, but she couldn't. Mirai holds her and tries to keep her down.

"Delilah, no! You're wounded!"

"He's going to get you!"

The Vampire argues, and she finally sat up.

_BANG!_

The Vampire's eyes shot wide open, seeing a bullet pierce right through Mirai's shoulder, as well as gunshot wounds all over her chest.

"No…"

She whispers.

"NO, NO, NO…!"

She whispers. She turns her head with anger, but that disappears as soon as the middle of her eyebrows meet the muzzle of a pistol.

"You shouldn't have disobeyed the Overseer's orders, Reyna… Now…"

Crusader's voice ring in her ears as she says her final words…

"I have to kill you and Mirai."

Chuckling, Delilah felt the bullet lodged within her stomach push itself out before laying eyes upon Sage again. She could already see the familiar white and light jade green energy around her body as her powers ejected the bullets her body.

"She was never yours. She has completely forgotten about you"

Growling animalistically, Crusader simply dropped her guns to wrap her hands around Delilah's neck but still, the former assassin didn't move.

"Delilah, what are you d-doing?! Defend yourself!"

Reyna could hear Sage murmur as loudly as she can but still the Mexican allowed the blonde to choke her.

"I need your permission, Mirai"

"Permission granted!"

"Thank you"

Immediately shrugging off Crusader's grip, Delilah smashed her palm against the assailant's throat stunning her and allowing The Vampire to land a solid kick right on the former soldier's chest, throwing her off balance as Reyna launched herself onto her feet. Once susceptible to Crusader's punches, now her punches were futile as Reyna dodged every single one of them as if Delilah saw them coming before she even launched it. Grabbing the woman's collar, Delilah threw her down onto the ground before pouncing on her chest. Launching a flurry of blinding punches at Crusader's face, slowly wiping away its beauty with every punch before Reyna finally lunged away as a lengthy knife appeared in Crusader's hands but she could fight no longer. A simple swipe with her blade was all Reyna needed to finish the job.

Catching her wrist, Delilah swiped the blade from her hand before kicking Crusader onto her knees followed promptly by The Vampire stabbing the knife right through the former soldier's head.

And as much as she hated it, the feeling of satisfaction washed over her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Royal Deluxe - I'm A Wanted Man  
> Isabela Merced, Donna Paola - Don't Go  
> EMM - Devil in Disguise


	5. Lover's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Early Valentine's Day Gift
> 
> (A bit of Valorant: First Light references here so if any of you haven't read that fic then you're gonna be hella confused)

**Valorant Reunion, Tokyo, Japan**

After the elevator finally reached Reyna's loft, Sage frowned as she saw that someone was already waiting outside of the former assassin's lounge to enter the cabin. _Oh God, not this man again!_ Mirai frowned as she glared at the man. In front of Mirai was none other then new Valorant Agent Yoru, and she was now standing in front of the door while he nervously held something behind his back while he sweated under her gaze. _God! First Omen and now Yoru! What’s with you and all these men, Delilah?! If I knew it would be this bad, I would have hunted them instead of Kingdom!_ Mirai thought as she continued to glare at the agent. Both Omen and Yoru had tried to make a move on her commander in the past and even the present, which had made Mirai furious even when nothing had happened on either occasion, which was much to Mirai's own amazement. Her own father had only teased her, when Mirai told him about the situation, and said to her: _Well, if she aren't railing either of those men after how “subtlety” they approached her, you have nothing to be jealous about. Either she’s a prude, or madly in love with you, and I'm hoping for the latter!_

 _I am NOT jealous!_ Mirai screamed in her head, just like she had done to her father at the time, and walked over to the door, startling the agent.

"Yoru..."

Mirai murmured with an annoyed look in her eyes.  
  
“D…d-d-doctor! Fancy meeting y-you here...?”

Yoru stuttered, before he realised that the Chinese was not staring at him any more. The Doctor was in fact glaring at the flowers and the chocolate which he was trying to hide behind his back.

“…This isn’t what it looks like!”

“Really?!” 

Mirai asked, while she began to radiate a light jade green energy. _  
  
_“They're just… t-tokens of appreciation... which I w-wanted to g-give to the R...R-R-Reyna..."

Yoru stuttered forward, before he covered mouth when he looked at the Healer, when he realised what implications he might have given her.

"T-That's to say, that I understand... if you might...” 

Yoru nervously conjured up to the boiling Healer, but before anyone of them could say anything more, the doors opened and the Mexican woman herself stepped out. Her look was absolutely priceless. She dumbfounded looked at Mirai and Yoru, before she opened her mouth. _  
  
_“Mirai… Agent Yoru…”

Delilah replied wearily, sounding like she were about to be charged by a battalion of angry Rhinos.

“…Happy Valentine’s day, Reyna!” 

Yoru yelled, throwing the flowers and chocolate in front of Delilah.  
  
Reyna still looked like she was speechless, when she changed eye contact between Yoru, who was jittering nervously, and Mirai, who was furiously oozing jade-green energy. She could see a figurative rain cloud brew over Mirai's head while the Healer's eyebrows twitched in irritation.  
  
“I’m flattered, Yoru..."

Delilah carefully began.

"...But, I don’t think it would be appropriate if I accepted this gifts… given that my wife is standing right behind you… and she’d flay you…”

“Oh *please*, Delilah...!”

Mirai snapped as her powers flared. 

"...Don't worry *yourself* over me...!"  
  
“…Or me… alive… with her mind... if I accepted these… gifts...”

"...It would be *rude* of you... to *not* accept... his... gifts! They are, after all like she said; a token of *his appreciation* for *you*Delilah!!!" 

Mirai angrily stated while small sparks came out of her energy field. Mirai was literally glowing jade green now, which made Delilah sweat bullets.  
  
“Well... If you insist, Mirai…" 

Mirai replied to her wife, whom she hadn't seen this angry since they had fought against Kingdom back in Russia.

_"Just... put them with the rest on the table, Yoru…”_

She muttered to Yoru, before Mirai's energy field grew three times its original size.

“THE OTHERS!?!”

Mirai shouted, while Delilah dodged an incoming eruption from her energy aura.

Yoru dropped everything he carried and ran for his life towards the elevator while Mirai marched past Delilah into her cabin. _Hmm, I thought it was a little weird why they all kept giving me all of these crap... Damn it, I had completely forgotten that today's Valentine’s Day..._

Delilah thought as she picked up the flowers and headed in after Mirai. When she entered the cabin, she saw that the Healer was glaring at the bouquets, chocolate and greeting cards which towering up on her desk.

_“What the name of God is the meaning of this, Delilah...?!”_

Mirai shouted angrily.

”...You said all of those things to me back at Cancún, and now I see all of this rubbish towering up on your desk?!" 

Mirai angrily question, before she turned her head away from the Vampireand pouted.

 _"_...No, I don’t want to hear an explanation! I’m leaving!” 

Mirai angrily stated as she walked towards the door, but Delilah stopped her by the door by pulling her back in the arm.

“Let go of me!”

“Mirai, would you just calm down for a second...?" 

Delilah asked the struggling Healer as she kept her in place. _"_

I meant every word I said to you on that beach! I want to spend the rest of my life with you, after the war is over! And as for all the crap on the desk…”

Delilah angrily stated, before she managed to calm herself down a bit.

“…They are valentine gifts, but I honestly think that I got half of them just out of pity. Breach told me over a mail that there are rumours circling about me, that I’m not sleeping very well...”  
  
“Well, I didn’t tell them anything, if that’s what you’re asking...!” 

Mirai pout as Delilah let go of her arm.  
  
“I know you didn’t, Mirai...” 

The Vampire reassured the Chinese, after she had calmed down a bit, before Mirai puts her hands on her hips and stared defensively and accusingly at her.  
  
“... And what about Yoru...?!” 

“Wait...? Are you implying that I and Yoru...?" 

Delilah asked in disbelief, before she shook her hands in front of her dismissively.

"I have already told you that there is nothing going on between her and me! We played chess!”  
  
“Is lending someone your shower a part of the playing chess that I'm not aware of?!” 

Mirai shouted to Delilah, and Reyna's eyes widened in shock before she nervously scratched her forehead as she sat down.  
  
“Ok, I admit that it was kinda stupid of me, but I couldn't just ask her to leave after he was already in the shower, now could I?!" 

Delilah admitted as she crashed down on the sofa.

"...God, I was so terrified that you would walk in through the door and see her naked like that in there, and that I had to explain the awkward..." 

Delilah stopped in mid-sentence.

”Wait, how did you know...?”

“Never mind that, Delilah..." 

Mirai dismissed, as she tried to avoid the subject.

"...But after he left you cabin, he had a grin on his face which went from ear to ear. If I didn’t know what happened in your cabin, I would have assumed the worst...!”  
  
“Wait here just a damn minute...?" 

Delilah interrupted the Chinese harshly.

"Have you put surveillance equipment in my cabin?!”  
  
“God no, I didn’t put them there!"

The Healer replied back in her defence. 

"It was old Kingdom tech which we had...!”

“Don’t change the subject! Are you spying on me with your equipment while I'm sleeping in my cabin?!”

“God, it wasn’t on purpose...!” 

Mirai shouted out and collapsed down on Delilah’s bed, covering her face with her hands. 

”...After I found out that someone had put up monitoring equipment in your cabin, I wanted to tear them down myself! When I switched them on for the first time, so I would know where to find them, I saw you sleeping peacefully in your bed and I…” 

Mirai sadly stated as she confessed that she hadn't done it intentionally, but that she still felt deeply ashamed of doing it. Delilah sat down next to Mirai on the bed while the Chinese hangs her head down, like she was a little girl who was confessing to her best friend that she had broken her favorite doll.

“…I looked at your bed and then my own, and I wanted to join you in yours..."

Mirai continued to confess, and she slowly shifts herself closer to Delilah.

"You were murmuring in your sleep, but you looked so peaceful... Your bed even looked so inviting and comfortable so many times, but I can't just go up and leave my cabin with all the remaining Valorant intel I have to attend to on a daily basis… even if I wanted to...”

Mirai began to cry and she rested her head on Delilah's shoulder. Delilah put her arm around Mirai's waist while she let the Healer rest her head against her cheek as she drew her closer to her, and it seemed to calm Mirai down as she continued to confessed her worries to her.

“I hate this war with Kingdom and I hate being Sage... I hate that I'm not being able to there for you, when you… when *I* need you. I hate what this war is doing to you… and what it's has already done to you...” 

Mirai confined to her Vampire, before Delilah took a couple of deep breaths and started a confession of her own.

“I hate this war too, Mirai... I hate that while we are here, safe on the building, someone else just found out that one of their loved ones have died in an impersonal mail from whatever military installation they belong to. I hate just how hopeless everything just seems to be right now..."

Delilah muttered as she for the first time confined her troubles to the only person she trusted.

"Sure, we might still be in the fight, but how long will we be able to keep that up with the hundreds of thousands of casualties we suffered every day due to Kingdom's hands? How will we defeat them if Valorant is no more?, or what happens if we can't create it again?”

“Is that what your nightmares are about? Do you see Earth burning?”

Mirai asks while she looked affectionately into Delilah's eyes.

“No, I…I…”

Delilah hesitantly started, before she found her courage in Mirai's eye as the Chinese took her hands into her own.

“I keep seeing all the men, women and children I killed in my life, before I joined Valorant…”

Her eyes becomes hollow as she continues on.

“Before I joined Valorant... Before I met you... I was a mindless killer bearing no remorse. I killed children without blinking an eye”

“God…”

“In the dream, I’m alone in a scorched forest and I see them again... I’m chasing after them, but when I finally catch the, they starts to burn… While they burns, they stares at me like they're accusing me... Accusing me for not saving them…”

Delilah's story ends up with her voice cracking up and uncharacteristic sobs escaping her mouth.

“Oh, Delilah…” 

Mirai was out of words, and since words would not be enough, she did the only thing she could do. She kissed Delilah like there were no tomorrow. Her hands found their way to the back of Delilah's head and she begins to caress the Radiant's raven and purple hair, which she loves the soft and alien feeling of as her fingers sweep through the curls.

Her tongue playfully found its way between Delilah's lips, where their tongues begins to longingly dance as they found each other. Her hand then went from Reyna's hair and gently trailed down her jacket, until she found their way to the Mexican's breasts, which she starts to fondle playfully. Mirai's free hand sought out the inner thigh and she was delighted to hear a moan escape from Delilah's lips while they kissed. Then suddenly, Mirai felt how Delilah's fingers trailed up to her body.

She moaned and quivered when Delilah started to gently caress them from the base to the tip with her fingertips. Delilah then very gently went from the base of her breasts up to its tip and then suddenly pinched it, which caused Mirai moaned deeply as she pressed her chest against Delilah's and then pinned her down on the bed.

“I’m cheating? I'm not the one who's wearing armour here, miss sultry black eyes...”

Delilah teased, and Mirai's eyes glowed with excitement as she felt Delilah grabbing her breast. Mirai, however, let out a playful chuckle when her fingers lightly touched the tip of Delilah's breast, when the Radiant jolted and inhale sharply. 

“It seems like I’m not the only one who’s excited here…”

Mirai teased, before they both curled up and cuddled on the former assassin's bed.

“The only good thing about this war, Mirai, is that you’re here, keeping me sane. I don’t know if I could do this without you.” 

"God, this time is as good as any... Mirai thought as she tucked herself closer to the Mexican's chest, before she looks at Delilah hesitantly. 

“Delilah? There is something that I have to ask you. Something that’s been eating me for over two years now…”

“Someone has been eating you, besides me? Now you’re making me jealous…”

“Delilah, this is serious!”

“Alright, I’m sorry...!"

Delilah told the Chinese while she tried to keep herself from laughing.

"You know you can ask me anything, Mirai...”

“Between me and Omen, why did you choose me?”   
  
“Because, you found me intriguing and I found you interesting. _"_

Delilah joked, which even got a cute giggle out of Mirai.

“Is this what this is all about, Mirai? I chose you, because I've been in love with you since the first time I saw you on Italy. I was just lucky that you felt the same way.”

“That’s not enough, Delilah! I confessed to you right after you nearly died touching that Radianite orb I was weak and emotionally wrecked, and we...”

“...And I decided to put you against the shower wall and express my feeling about you. Sounds about right?"

“But why did you choose me, Delilah? I was nothing but an uninteresting Chinese who liked to dig around in human bodies for broken things...”

Mirai snuggled into Delilah's chest.

"...I didn’t deserve you…"

“Mirai, you tracked down and stole me so that I couldn't become a violent demon to my own vengence. You then, together with me, kicked Kingdom in the quad for everything they've done to us. If there is anyone who doesn’t deserve someone here, then I wouldn’t deserve you.”

Delilah kissed Mirai on her forehead, while she held the Radiant tighter within the embrace.

“And I liked Omen, but not more than as a one night stand. I liked him, because he was another broken toy like me, I may be attracted to men but I was not attracted to that floating piece of smoke, at all. And I have always found women more fascinating than I have found men. Women are so graceful and beautiful, especially you, for a change, that awful trait of arrogance which is one of the reasons why I fell for you, Mirai."

“Oh Reyna…” Mirai mutters as tears of happiness steams down her face. 

“As for Agent Yoru…”

Delilah said as she got out of the bed.

”...I think the reason why he's still gunning for me is that he thinks I'm still available. You know, because we haven’t made us official to the new boys and girls, yet. I mean, it's only been a few weeks since we...”

Delilah conludes, before she stops in the middle of her sentence as a sly smile started to slowly form on her face, twisting her wedding ring that was on her finger.

“Agent Delilah Kimur. What in the name of the God are you planning?”

Mirai asks as she gives her lover a slightly worried look. 

“To make an ass out of myself and to embarrass the hell out of you…”

Delilah replied back while she grins towards the ceiling.

“Cypher, turn on the loudspeakers, so I can address the whole crew! Make it so everyone can see it on the monitors, as well..."

"Of course, my friend."

Aamir answered and a big screen appeared in front of Delilah.

“Delilah! What are you…!”

Mirai gets interrupted, when the hologram flashed green as Delilah began to speak.

"Time for some payback after embarrassing me at that cafeteria"

“Valorant personal, Radiant and Human crew members of the Normandy, my friends. This is Agent Reyna speaking directly from her cabin. I have an announcement to make!”

_{What’s cooking, Lola?}_

_Raze replied._ _  
  
{Didn’t the commander order you to stop calling her that, after she kicked your butt, Vega?}_

_Sova spat back at Raze._

_{Hey now, Esteban! I let her win! I couldn’t just beat up a defenseless girl, now could I?}_

_Raze smirked back._ _  
  
{Let her win, Izzie? You know, I've seen her punch through walls on Bhutan just for fun. You never stood a chance.}  
  
{Like you, when she beat you at your own sniping game, on Ascent?}  
  
{The sun was in my eyes!}  
  
{Sure it was, Scars.}_

“Gentlemen! I’m here to talk about a little rumour concerning myself and Doctor Kimur, who’s with me here in my cabin.”

_{I see you're getting hotter, Mirai}_

_{Really, Aamir? Man, we could make a fortune out of this! We can record it!}_

_Jett yelled out to Cypher._

_{Don't make me abuse my new authority on your ass, wind girl!}_

_Viper screamed at the wind-bound vigilante._

_{Ok, I get it, Sabine! I’ll behave!}_

“I know that there has been rumours with the new boys and girls circling about me and Doctor Kimur, that _‘we had a thing going on’_ in the past. That is inaccurate, because it wasn’t just a thing. Before the bombing of our original base, we were unofficially a couple.”  
  
 _{Oh here we go again, mates. Delilah, you crazy son of a bitch! You’re going to make Mirai blush herself to death!}_

 _Skye screamed at the top of her lungs whilst Breach crossed his arms right next to her, a smile plastered on his face._ _  
  
{Oh, I think it’s romantic, Skye! Even a sappy old man like Brimstone would have loved this!}  
  
{He would have loved this, Steve!? Oh boy…}_

“However, we were forced to make a few pauses in our relationship, due to some small complications… like kidnapping and torture...”

Delilah muttered underneath her breath, before she looks at Mirai.

”...but we managed to rekindle our relationship right before our base blew up. I can safely say that she's one of the reasons why I come back from many of my suicide missions alive!”

Delilah said smilingly, which made Mirai somehow blush even harder than what she already was.

 _{Ok, it’s official! Reyna is crazier than Killjoy!}_ _  
  
{Come on, Jett! I crashed a shuttle through a Cerberus shuttle!}  
  
{Killjoy, you have clearly never been in the back seat of a car when Reyna's been driving it… through a warzone…}  
  
{It still keeps me up at night, Jett...}  
  
{Don’t remind me, Killjoy…}_

“As I was saying… After we rejoined in China, she asked me if wanted to pick up were we left off six month ago, after I was put in arrest for being affiliated with Valorant… I was pregnant with Melinoë back then” _  
  
{Oh, get on with it already, Reyna! You’re making me run out of vodka!}  
  
_ “Thank you for those encouraging words, Sova…” 

Delilah mutters.

“And since forever, I and Doctor Kimur have worked, fought and bled together…” _  
  
{Reyna, we have also bled together with you…}  
  
{Killjoy, you idiot! You’re ruining the moment again!}_

_Viper spat back at the German technician._

“With Mirai by my side, I felt like I can do anything. She gave me strength, when I lost hope in myself. She picked me up, when I fell down. She believed in me, when no one else did…”  
  
 _{Oh for crying out… I've told you I’m sorry about what I did!}_

_Jett cried out._

“My admiration and love for this Chinese has only grown stronger since I met her, so a few weeks ago, I asked her a question, which I'm now going to ask again with the entire crew of the Valorant Protocol as my witness. I'm just praying now that she will give me the same answer she gave me that time, after I made a fool out of myself like this…”  
  
 _{Oh yes!…}_

 _Skye screeched._ _  
  
{Oh my god, Hermosa!}_

 _Raze's jaw dropped to the ground._ _  
  
{Here we go again…}_

 _Sova's smile was the size of an entire planet._ _  
  
{You’re so toast, Reyna}_

 _Jett's childlike comment came through the mic._ _  
  
{Disconnecting the vocal feedback in the Armoury...}  
  
{Thank you, Cypher! God damn, Jett, you child…}_

_Viper sighed into her palms._

“…Mirai, without you, I would probably still be dead inside… o _r worst_ …. and, frankly, without you, Kingdom would have already won! Would you grant me the honour to become the wife to the kindest, most gentle and most beautiful Chinese in this entire world?”  
  
“Oh goddess, Delilah…I…I…” 

Mirai stumbled on her words.   
  
_{Oh, mates, the suspense!}_

 _Skye had her fingers in her mouth._ _  
  
{You know, this would really be awkward if she said no now…}_

 _Killjoy managed to spit out before Viper yanked on her hair._ _  
  
{KILLJOY, YOU DUMBASS!!! I HAVE A SHOTGUN!}_

 _“Delilah…I…I…”_

Tears fall down Mirai's her cheeks while she smiles at the Mexican.

 _"...I have waited years for you to ask me that! Yes…God, yes! I will become your wife!”_  
  
Relief flushed over Delilah's face.

“ _Phew, you had me worried there for a while._ Sorry I kept you waiting-….mmmmmm.”  
  
Mirai interrupted Delilah as she embraced and kissed her, while the applauses thundered through the loudspeakers.

_{WOOOOOOOO! I’m so happy for you!}_

_Skye raised her fists in the air before running around her room._ _  
  
{TCTS News Network, newsflash! Star-crossed love strikes the heinous Valorant protocol…! No, too corny…}_

 _Raze spoke to herself with a hand to her chest._ _  
  
{…Primitives…}_

 _Omen mumbled in his room._ _  
  
{Wow, they’re really going at it! Have they forgotten that we are still watching?}_

 _Sova eyed Breach to which he nodded slightly._ _  
  
{I don’t know, Sova, but I think that they deserve some privacy. Cypher?}  
  
{Of course, Breach}_

After the feeds were gone, Delilah and Mirai ended their long and intimate kiss and rested their brows against each other while they smiled at each other.

“Do you believe me now? I don’t want nobody else but you, Mirai.”

“You’re just extremely lucky I said yes the first time...”

Mirai teased back.

“I know…”

Delilah replied with a coy smile, before she kissed Mirai again. 

”I just wished I had something to give you, more than a ring or something.”

“I have everything I could possibly want right now, Delilah but this has been the greatest Valentine’s Day in my life!”

Mirai chimed, before Delilah's eyes widens in realization.  
  
“Oh fuck, I had forgot that it was Valentine today! I feel so stupid for not having anything to…”

Delilah sighs, before she suddenly looks at her small bookshelf.

 _“Actually… Mirai, wait here…”_

Delilah says before she walks over to the bookshelf and searched through spines of the books on the shelf. Mirai got out of the bed and walks over to the Radiant.

 _“Delilah, I can’t ask for more after you gave me your heart like this! You don’t need to prove…”_

Mirai stopped as Delilah interrupts her by shoving an old title-less book in front of her.  
  
 _“Here! I want you to have this! It’s… a medical book!”_

Delilah struggles to the Chinese, while she looks over the book. It was an old book with a blue and worn cover.   
  
_“Thank you, Delilah. But if it’s a medical book, chances are…”_  
  
 _“No, I can guarantee that you don't have this one, because it was… never officially released! It’s a book on Radiant Physiology discoveries!”_  
  
 _Never officially released?_ Mirai thought as she looks concernedly at Delilah. The Mexican looked conflicted if she should hand her the book or not.  
  
 _“Delilah?”_  
  
 _“Please, Mirai! Just…!”_  
  
 _“Delilah, of course I'll accept this book…”_

Mirai reassured Delilah as she took the book out of her hands.

_“...I promise I'll start reading it as soon as I get back to my cabin.”_

_“…Thank you, Mirai. You don’t even know what this…”_

Delilah seemed to be lost of words, but then a coy smile formed on her face. “

Actually, Mirai…You get to keep it under one condition...”  
  
“Oh, and that is that?” 

Mirai asked back with coy as she lays her arms around Reyna’s waist.

"I want to you disable all the cameras in my room! You can use the intercom, like a normal person, if you want to talk…”

Delilah leaned in closer to Mirai.

“…but if you want to join me in my bed, all you have to do is ask…”  
  
"I'll keep that in mind..."

Mirai moaned as Delilah kissed the base of her neck.

“Actually, I think that your room is a little bit too chilly for me, but you’re more than welcome to join me in my cabin downstairs…”

Mirai coyly whispered back and nibbled the Vampire's earlobe, making her moan even louder.  
  
“That’s…c-cheating, Kimur!”  
  
“Everything is fair in love and war, Delilah, and when I’m fighting against an enemy like you, I’ll take any advantage I can get…”  
  
“Your tactics are ruthless, Commander Kimur…”  
  
“And you’re loving…”  
  
“…Every second of it.” 

Delilah playfully replied, before they were forced to part ways as duty calls.

After Mirai regretfully leaves the cabin, as she passes the mess hall, the Chinese is greeted by the thundering cheer of her friends of the Valorant Protocol once more, as well as a dumbstruck Yoru, who's looking awkwardly at her. Even if she pitied the poor man, she could help but to smile pleasingly to herself. _Delilah's mine, and don’t you forget it!_ While the door to her cabin slowly started to open, her curiosity got the better of her. _Radiant Physiology, Delilah? Why would you even have such a book?_ She opened the book and read the text on the front page. _Hmm? Property of Almudena García Ramírez de Arroyo? That's Delilah's mother_ She curiously thought to herself while the doors to her cabin closed behind her.

\---

 _Good, only twenty pages left..._ Delilah mutters to herself, while she reads through the report from Brimstone. She however drops everything, when she receives a call from a certain Chinese over the intercom.  
  
"Hello, gorgeous..."  
  
 _{Delilah, I can’t stop reading this book you gave me!}_  
  
 _“Oh, so that's why you couldn't join us during the last mission, and why you were unavailable while we were back in Bhutan…?”_  
  
 _{I can’t help it! I just read about our DNA, which is encased in pure Radianite energy! It was so perfectly augmented that the discoverers claimed that they could still further into our biology! It’s so fascinating!}_  
  
“Oh, you’re talking about the first Radiant, Mirai?”  
  
 _{Actually it was the discovery of Homo Novus, not the first Radiant, but it's a common misunderstanding people tends to make}_  
  
“ _Right…_ I see that you’re at least enjoying the book!”  
  
 _{I love it! Thank you so much for giving it to me! I have heard many scholars talk about Radiant Physiology, but I never thought that there were so many other exciting topics I missed!}_  
  
Delilah smiled while she looked at Mirai, who for the first time in years started to resemble the Chinese she had saw on Italy. _I knew this was a good idea..._ Delilah thought.  
  
 _{But, that was not the reason why I called…Well, maybe it was, that's not important right now. I keep on reading this book, but its author still eludes me. I wouldn’t mind getting more books from this collection. Is Almudena García Ramírez de Arroyo a relative of yours?}_  
  
 _This was a bad idea…_ After shaking the thought out of her head, Delilah averted her eyes from the screen.  
  
 _{Delilah, what’s wrong? God, was it something I said?}_  
  
 _“Actually, Mirai…”_  
  
 _{Delilah? Please, talk to me!}_  
  
“Yes… I knew the author very well… She wrote on that book for as long as I can remember… She wrote in it for 16 years, until she and the rest of my family died on their house paid with my blood money…”  
  
 _{By God?! She was your…How could I be so…?!}_

Mirai's transmission ended abruptly, and before Delilah knew it, the Chinese came rushing through the door and embraced her so hard she could barely breathe.  
  
 _“I’m so sorry, Delilah! I can’t believe that I’m so dense that I didn’t…!”_  
  
“Mirai, calm down! It's…”

Delilah quieted down.

 _“It’s OK, Mirai…"_  
  
“No, it’s _not_ OK! I can’t accept this book!”  
  
“What?! But, I thought you loved it!”  
  
 _“I do, it’s just that…!”_

Mirai looked Delilah into the eyes, while more tears came from her eyes.

 _“...It’s one of the last things you still have from your old home! I might be the last connection you still have to your mother!”_  
  
Delilah silently looks down at the floor, before she leads Mirai over to the bed and sits down with her.  
  
“Mirai, I understand what you’re coming from, and honestly, I wasn’t entirely comfortable in the beginning to give this book to you. But you beamed so much with joy after you started to read it, so I think that my mother would have wanted you to keep it. _Better to have someone read a book then to have it collect dust on the shelf..._ That's what mom always used to say…”

Delilah quieted down immensely and started to stare at the marble stones on the floor.

 _“…I don’t think I have talked about my mom, or my house, with anyone before… Too many horrible memories from that place. I don’t want to return there, but after all that's happening…”_  
  
“How was she? Who was she, Delilah?”  
  
Delilah went silent and absorbed the quietness and emptiness of the room she and Mirai now shared. Fear and sadness crawled its way into her mind, ripping its cold claws through her soul, but then she felt something. A gentle hand, pressing firmly into her own. The hand belonged to her safe haven, which guided her through the whirlwind of emotions she experienced right now. Delilah looks at Mirai and gave her a sad smile, which Mirai returned with no hatred, prejudice or segregation what-so-ever. She only smiled back while her eyes emitted pure, unbridled, unconditional love back to her. _If she was able to talk about her mother with me, why shouldn’t I be able to do the same with her?_ Delilah thought as she looked up toward the ceiling, before she sighed and smiled at Mirai.  
  
 _”She was a kind and patient woman… She also was a teacher…”_  
  
“A teacher?”  
  
“Yeah, she worked on Mexico as a school teacher. She taught mathematics, civil science and health, but her passion was Medicine…”  
  
 _“Medicine...?"_  
  
 _“…Yeah, her favourite field was Radiants._ She thought that we should look forward towards these news species as they are the evolved humans…”

Delilah sadly stated, before she looks at the book in Mirai's hand.

“After the school started to reform the health lessons to be centred around the Homo Sapiens, after the discovery literally frightened humans to the bone that they wanted to forget they ever existed, she started to write that book your holding. I remember several times, when I was a little girl, that several officers from the Army were at my home, checking the progress of the book. _Once it was finished, I remember that she told me that the Army had promised her that the book's income would go back to her village…”_  
  
 _“She sounded like a wonderful woman…”_

Mirai said as she snuggled closer to Delilah.  
  
“She would have loved you, Mirai… _I miss her…_ ”  
  
“…My mother would have loved you too, Delilah. But are you really sure you want me to keep it? It’s important to you…”  
  
“So are you, Mirai, and it’s not the only thing I still have from her. I still have her personal collection of history programs she had collected since she was a child, but you’re free to lend that if you want as well. _I want you to have it, and I’m sure that my mother would have wanted it too.”_

\---

As the day reached its end, and night time came to the mansion, Mirai tiptoed from her cabin to the elevator, scared to death that anyone would see her in what she was wearing. _God! If someone sees me now…God!_ Finally, Mirai was at the safe zone of the elevator. The slow ride up usually just takes a minute, but for Mirai the ride felt like hours. _God! How did dad managed to talk me into this?!_ Mirai took another look at the little casing he had given her for the gemstone. _What happens if the crystals don’t work? Oh god, why didn't I think this through?_ The elevator finally stopped at the Vampire's Cabin, Mirai went out of it and hesitated when she came closer to the door. _I should have sent a mail to Delilah. What if she’s asleep? Then I have get back to my cabin…dressed like this… Oh, goddess!_ As she walked closer to the door, she grew ever more nervous. _Nervous?! Why am I nervous?! This isn’t the first time I had been to her cabin! Well, it’s the first time I’m wearing this... Oh goddess, why am I doing this?!_ When the doors to the cabin suddenly opened themselves up, she let out a started yelp.

“Christ!”

Delilah screamed, and saw that no one was standing in the doorway. _What in the name of the God…_

_{Hello, doctor Kimur!}_

_“Argh! God! Don’t scare me like that, Aamir!”_

The Chinese cursed and swore she heard the Morrocan laugh under his breath. 

_{Apologies. My intent wasn’t to scare you… it just happened to be a side effect...}_

_By God, sometimes I forget that he is a goofy motherfucker and not a person…_ Mirai pouted to herself, before she looked up towards the ceiling.

”Cypher, why did the door open up by itself? Delilah isn’t expecting me.”

_{Around the estimated time you were on leave on Xi'an, I gave Reyna the suggestion that your biometrics should be allowed into the cabin without confirmed authorization from her consensus so both you and her can move freely between your cabins. The Vampire approves, Doctor.}_

“ _Really?_ _Well, thank you then, Aamir… I think_ …”

Mirai murmurs as she enters the cabin, before she stops when she sees Reyna working at her desk.

Delilah was working by a table in the cabin, still wearing her uniform which she was wearing very sloppily at the moment. Her jacket and the collar of her shirt was unbuttoned and her hair was standing in all directions, but Mirai noticed a little feature which she had never seen her wear before on the tip of her nose.

_“I didn’t know you wore glasses, Delilah…”_

“Oh, Mirai…”

Delilah said as she turned her attention away from the report she was writing.

_”…I thought I heard a scream by the door….”_

She teased and Mirai chuckled, but the Chinese still looked like she was about to faint.

_“I was so deep in thought that I didn’t expect the door to open up, by itself… ”_

Mirai took a closer look at Delilah.

“God, Delilah! You’re exhausted…”

“I know you don’t feel much better, Mirai. According to Cypher, you haven't left your cabin since you came back from leave....”

Delilah eyed Mirai up and down. She was wearing a violet silk robe which exposed pretty much all of her curves. _“_

_That look’s chilly…”_

She said while she eyed Mirai like a hungry wolf.

“ _It look’s chilly?_ The clerk told me and dad that it was supposed to look classy...!”

Mirai covered her mouth.

“Oh shit, did I say that aloud!?” After seeing Delilah’s priceless reaction, Mirai started to run towards the door. But Delilah managed to intercept to the door and stood in the doorway, pleading her to stay. 

_“I’m sorry, Mirai! You're just so cute when you were blushing, I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings!”_

A little bit of relief flashed through Mirai’s face once she had calmed her down a bit, _Oh, Delilah. I’m not just blushing like a maiden, I’m nervous like one too._

“Delilah…it’s nothing. You didn’t hurt my feelings, I’m just… _a little bit_ nervous…”

She replied as she led Delilah to the bed. _”_

_…But I digress, because this attire is in fact a bit chilly.”_

Mirai was trembling.

_“Actually…”_

“Yes, Mirai?”

Delilah asked and her purple eyes managed to calm the Chinese down a bit, so she continued.

_“Actually, Delilah, I have something I want to give to you. A token, if you will.”_

“This is about my mother’s book I gave you, isn’t it?”

Delilah asked, as she caught the Healer's intentions early.

_“Yes! And I want to give you something which is equally important to me…”_

“Mirai, you don’t have to…”

_“God please, Delilah, stop interrupting me! I’m already nervous enough as it is…!”_

“Ok, I’m sorry, Mirai. What is this item you wanted to give me?”

Delilah asked as Mirai took out a small casing from her robes.

“It’s an token which my mother gave to me, after I graduated from University. It's a supposed soulmate crystal that was in my family for generations. It changes colour, when you give it to someone who’s important to you…”

“Oh? What colours can it change to?”

“There are several colours, but which colour in changes into depends on the person who's touching it. The colours vary from normal colours to more rare ones.”

“ _Really?_ What’s the rarest colour a soulmate crystal can have?”

“I think that would be The Lovers, it’s an extremely rare shade of cyan blue...”

Mirai continued inside of her own head. _But if your colours of the crystals doesn't match, after you have given to your partner, then you’re not destined by Atropos, the goddess of prophesy and fate, to become mates._ Mirai’s hand trembles when Delilah takes the case from her hand.

“Thank you, Mirai! It’s a lovely thought!”

After Delilah had taken off her jacket and put the necklace on, the blank crystal started to switch its colour immediately.

 _Oh God! Its changing!_ The crystal started to change, it became darker. _Oh goddess, its turning blue!_ It started to darken even more. _Goddess, its becoming more violet, like mine!_ It darkened even more. _Praise the goddess! Its violet, its violet!_ Mirai’s heart was pounding so hard, she could feel it in her throat. _We have received Athame’s blessing! We are meant to be bondmates! Goddess, I knew it!_ Mirai’s heart was so filled with joy that she couldn’t contain her happiness from Delilah any more.

“Delilah, it’s violet! It’s violet!”

Mirai shook Delilah by her arms.

“The crystal is violet! Just like… _oh no, oh God no…_ ”

Delilah's crystal suddenly shifted, before it started to glow brighter with each second. _Oh, God, oh no no no no no no!_ It was becoming brighter. _Oh God, this can’t be true! This can't be happening!_ As it became even brighter, it started to switch itself between green and blue. _Oh God, not after everything we have been through!_ It became brighter, until…. _Cyan, oh God, it’s The Magician, divine blue!_ The crystal now stopped changing colours and stayed cyan blue. Delilah dropped her mouth in awe and took the crystal into her hand, inspecting it.

“Wow! It turned blue! Cyan blue, of all things!”

_The goddess Atropos has condemned our union…_

"This is awesome!”

_I spent two years with Delilah, and it all was for nothing…_

“Mirai..?”

_Atropos sees no future in our relationship. She sees no children in our future…_

“Mirai? Why are you crying?”

_There will be no more little children…_

_“Mirai, can you hear me?”_

Delilah shook Mirai back into reality.

_“ Mirai?!”_

_“Delilah...”_

Mirai replied, but turned her eyes away from Delilah.

_“What the hell is going on, Mirai? Why are you crying?!”_

_”T-the cr-r… the crystals… Oh fuck, the crystals, Delilah! I’m sorry for everything…”_

Mirai's eyes filled up with nothing but sadness as she took up the crystal her father given her. _“_

_I’m so sorry, Delilah…”_

More tears started to fall down her cheeks.

_“Mirai…?”_

Delilah asked, when she looked Mirai the eyes as she began to understand why she was crying.

_“Wait, Mirai, yours are changing too!”_

_“What in the… Holy Shit!”_

Delilah was right, something was happening to her crystal. It shifted, changed and became brighter, just like the crystal she had given to Delilah. The crystal started to shined in a spectrum between green and blue, until it became cyan stone in bright blue, just like Delilah's.

_“Delilah!”_

Mirai pulled Reyna close to her, so she could put the crystals against each other. _Oh God, they are both glowing…they are both glowing Cyan Blue! Oh God!_ She thought as she looked at Delilah when tears of joy started to fall from both of them.

_"Oh, Delilah..."_

Mirai leaped and kissed her passionately, letting her hands explore Delilah’s body while she started to remove the agent's clothes. But when she felt that Delilah was doing the same, something snapped in Mirai and she pushed herself away from Delilah and then screamed at the top of her lungs.

_“God, fuck! Damn you, Atropos!”_

“Huh, Mirai?"

Delilah asked as she looked at Mirai in confusion.

“Why didn’t you tell me that _BOTH_ the crystals would change colours?! You just made my heart skip a beat, dad!”

“Mirai, what are you talking about?”

Delilah asked, still looking confused.

_“It was his idea that I would give you the soulmate crystal!”_

“This was your... dad's idea?”

_“Yes...! Yes, it was his idea…”_

Mirai hangs her head down.

_“I wanted to give you something which was just as important as your mother's book… My dad suggested his and my mother’s soulmate crystals…”_

“Thank you, Mirai…”

Delilah smiled at Mirai while she held the stone.

_“But, I’m not sure it was still th-…mmm...”_

Mirai sighed happily as Delilah kissed her and pushed her down on the bed. _She really seems to like to interrupt me like this… Not that I’m complaining…_

After the long and tender kiss, Delilah broke off while she rested her forehead against Mirai’s forehead.

“Mirai…thank you, but I wouldn't have cared if the crystals would have been in different colours. If Atropos thinks she can stand between you and me, she’s as crazy as Kingdom itself.”

Delilah stated smiling, which made Mirai blush as she held the Radiant closer.

 _“Oh, Delilah... You don’t know how it makes me feel when you say that…_ I’m just so relieved that dad’s plan A worked out…”

“Plan A? Does that mean you had a backup plan…?”

 _“…Y-yes…_ ”

Mirai shyly replied, averting her eyes away from Delilah.

“I’m…actually… _wearing…plan B_ …”

“The robe?”

 _“…No…it’s...underneath…the…robe_ …”

Mirai trembled.

_“It wouldn’t be a stripper outfit, would it?”_

Delilah asked, smiling slyly at the Chinese.

_“God no! I could never wear something so…tawdry…”_

_“Well, if a video came out were they filmed us madly making love to each other dressed like strippers, it would certainly give a boost to the war effort against Kingdom, but we would have to kill Killjoy and Jett for it...”_

“I have disabled the camera’s here, just like you asked me to. Not a living soul knows what we are doing right now…”

Mirai said, before she went on top of Delilah.

_“Delilah, I want you to know that no matters what happens, you mean so much to me…”_

_“I love you, Mirai Kimur…”_

_“…I…I love you too…”_

Mirai muttered happily, before she kiss her. Mirai then moved away from the bed and stood up hesitantly in front of the bed, before she started to nervously undress herself. After she had removed the robe, she stood in front of Delilah wearing nothing but sexy red lingerie. She looks shamefully away from Delilah as she shivered nervously. 

_“Please, don’t stare…”_

Mirai closed her eyes. _God, I‘m feeling so exposed!_

_“You’re so beautiful, Mirai…”_

_“You just…say those things!”_

Delilah got up and held her tenderly, letting her hands slowly feel the Healer's curves.

_“I meant every word of it. Come with me, if you don't believe me…”_

She continued.

_“But you look like you're freezing, Mirai…”_

She leans in closer.

_“We can't have that, now can we...?”_

She purred to Mirai and kissed the base of her neck. _“_

 _Do you have any suggestions how we could do fix that problem?”_ She spurred Mirai by grabbing her buttocks, making her moan as her eyes shone for a second.

_"Well, I could think of a few..."_

Mirai moaned back, before she stopped Delilah from unbuttoning her clothes. _"_

_Please, allow me, Reyna…”_

Mirai removed Delilah's shirt and began to play with her upper body. As she unhooked Delilah’s bra, she laid herself down together with Delilah on the bed. After they were down on the bed, Mirai began to fondle the Vampire's breasts. Her tongue ran circles around Delilah’s nipple while her other hand continued to fondle the breast, while her other hand sought its way to her stomach and then continued downwards. Delilah moaned and pressed Mirai harder into herself when Mirai's fingers caressed her inner thighs. Mirai then kissed her way down Reyna's stomach, before she came down to the base of her pants. Suddenly, Mirai got up and tried to force Delilah's boots of her feet while she pulled her pants off with her powers.

_“Wow, Mirai, take it easy! I can remove these myself without telekinesis, thank you!”_

Delilah laughed as she held her pants, but eventually, she lost the fight.

_“Enough foreplay, I want and need you now, Delilah!”_

Mirai stated as her eyes turned black while she looked at Delilah. 

_“You know, Mirai. We could just lie down and watch my mother’s medicine collection, if you prefer…”_

Delilah said with a coy smile.

_"After what those silly crystals just put me through? You’re not get away that easily…”_

Mirai stated and crawled on top of her wife.

_“Now get over here and embrace eternity with me, Delilah, before I head-butt you…!”_

Mirai demanded with a playful smile.

_“So the timid little Chinese doctor thinks she’s a big ol fucking machine in bed, huh?"_

Delilah responded with a mocking smile.

_"Come and show me!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Meghan Trainor - Dear Future Husband  
> Jessie J - Domino  
> Fifth Harmony - I'm In Love With A Monster  
> Olly Murs, Louisa - Unpredictable


	6. Through the Valley (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sage isn't too good with English idioms and discovers music

**11:00 PM, Breach's Airplane**

The elevator's door opens to the loft with the usual soft hiss and beep. Mirai steps out first, gently pulling Delilah along by their interwoven fingers. The Vampire followed her through that door and the next until they get close to Delilah's desk.

"Hang on a second,"

The Mexican say with a light tug on Mirai's hand.

"Let me double check our ETA."

Mirai nods slightly before reaching into a nearby mini-fridge.

"Ok. I'll get us something to drink. What do you want?"

The computer glows to life when Delilah ran her fingers across the keyboard. The map appears, with the aircraft as a red dot towards the left.

"Would you mind seeing if we have any tequila left?"

Mirai steps over to the bedside table directly in front of the computer.

"Umm..."

She grumbles while bending over and digging through drink bottles. On a slightly selfish impulse, Delilah let her gaze wander over Mirai's way. _Hey, it's a nice view, and it's not like I've made it a habit. Just a... an occasional splurge._

She stands again with a glass of tequila and a glass of wine in hand. Reyna's purple eyes darted back to the monitor before Mirai can realize where they were.

"You have three bottles left after this. And there's still six bottles of Chardonnay wine. You didn't have to buy all those for me."

Delilah simply replied by shrugging innocently.

"A girl can't pamper her girlfriend a little?"

She just shakes her head when the aircraft's course statistics appear on Delilah's console. ETA to Naalehu: six hours.

"Perfect. We'll get a nice little vacation after breakfast tomorrow."

Mirai sets their glasses on the table.

"Finally. It will be nice to have some time off."

"I know. I'm sorry for making you and the other agents work so hard this week."

Delilah closed the interface and follow Mirai down to the drinks.

She's waiting by the table when Reyna got there. Her hands immediately grab Delilah's and hold them just above her waist.

"You've got nothing to apologize for,"

Mirai says softly, rubbing my hands like she always loves to do.

"Everyone knows we needed to do this."

Valorant had been defunct for quite a few months now, everybody was going their separate ways but some agents decided to stick around with Reyna and Sage for a little vacation before finding a job.

Delilah gripped Mirai's hands a little tighter and kiss the top of her head.

"I still feel bad for making you guys work after all that."

"Well, my job is easier than Jett. At least I don't have to clean Breach's toilet,"

She jokes with a laugh.

The duo sat down alongside the table and pour their drinks. The last bit of thievery Delilah did with Valorant's funding was a combination bedside table/refrigerator, keeping the agent's sodas and alcoholic drinks chilled. Mirai used a little white straw to sip her wine while Delilah less-than-subtly knocked back the tequila. That stuff was a bitch to find: only one store near Bhutan imported real Mexican-made Tequila so Delilah bought fifty bottles three months ago and have been slowly working through them.

"So how's was working on the plane engine?"

Reyna asked, pouring herself another glass.

Mirai rotates and stretches her legs across the couch while laying against Delilah's other shoulder.

"Surprisingly well,"

She explains after another wine sip.

"The deactivation caused by the Electormagnetic storm and the minor crash didn't cause as much damage as I thought. Most of the circuit boards and fuses were overloaded, so we've had to replace those, but nothing too severe. There's still a few parts we'll need to get while we're on Hawaii, though. We should have it back to a hundred percent in... three days."

Delilah gave a small whistle.

"That's a pleasant surprise. I figured it'd be another month, given the hell that that EMP storm was."

"It might take that long if Killjoy and Sabine don't quit bickering."

"Good luck stopping them. Raze's right: they'd be a cute couple if they ever realized it."

Mirai looked up at Delilah with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Did you just call them a cute couple?"

She asks, barely containing her humour.

Delilah chuckle a little.

"I think you're rubbing off on me, Mirai. But keep in mind you're the only person I'll ever call cute."

"Good, sweet talker,"

She giggles. She leans her head in Delilah's shoulder with a content sigh.

"So what do you want to do with the rest of our evening?"

Reyna asked, wrapping her left arm around Mirai's stomach.

"Mmm..."

Her head rocks this way and that as she ponders.

"How about another lesson?"

Every night since they've got together, they've been teaching each other about their respective cultures. There's actually more similarities than differences in most aspects, but the little things show how much their culture influenced our personalities. Delilah was starting to understand her ancestor reverence, and Mirai's warming up to the idea of God and the Bible. The conversations end up coming around to themselves more often than not, but that's always welcome. Delilah never realized how little she knew about her: Delilah still have no idea what her favourite song is. Hmm... Speaking of which...

"How does music sound? Pun unintended, by the way."

"That would be nice." She sets her 3/4ths empty cup on the table.

"Will you go first, please?"

"Alright. Fair warning, though: I'm not a good representative of Mexico's taste in music. I have my dad's ear."

"What does that mean?"

"The ear or my taste in music?"

"Both. Kingdom didn't take your father's ear and attach it to you, did they?"

The genuine concern in her voice made Delilah laugh a little.

"I hope not. No, it's an old joke. Having someone's ear means that you like the same kind of music they do. And taste in music just means preference. Anyway, most of the songs I like are really old. Like before 2021, before we could reach Mars old. All weird music, but it hasn't been popular in a very long time."

She shrugs a little.

"I don't mind. As long as I get to talk to you."

"I think I can live with that,"

Delilah chuckled, tightening the hug around Mirai's stomach.

"Alright, where to start... I guess I alternate a little between two genres. There's rock and classical, though I listen to a little of everything from back then. Let's just start with rock. It's usually a four or five piece band: one guy on drums, a singer, one or two acoustic-slash-electric guitarists, and a bass guitarist. Most of the songs are three to five minutes, divided into a handful of sections. There's the intro, the first thirty seconds or so, which is just the instruments playing and building up. Then the verse, where the singer joins in. The chorus is next, which is basically the main theme of the song where the singer and the instruments work together. Then there's another, slightly different verse, and the chorus again. The second verse has different words than the first, but the instrumental is about the same. The second chorus is about opposite: the words are usually pretty much identical, but the instrumental part has some kind of building to it, kind of like a story's plot building towards the climax. Then there's the bridge. It's a section very different from the chorus and the verse, usually big and dramatic. There's sometimes a solo, a guitar or the drums take center stage for a bit. The chorus plays one last time, the song winds down, and it's over. Do you want me to find an example?"

She nods.

"Please."

Delilah scrolled through her and finally settle on _Smoke On The Water_ . As it plays over the speakers, Mirai closes her eyes, slowly bouncing her head to the beat. _This song was one of Delilah's favourites. The guitar part in it is awesome, and the slightly poetic lyrics are nice. Delilah kept the urge to sing content by tapping her foot with the drums_. After four minutes, the song comes to an end and Mirai looked back to Reyna.

"I could feel those different sections you were talking about,"

She says.

"They're fairly distinct."

Delilah shrugged a little.

"Usually. Each song and band has their own little things they change from the tried-and-true formula."

"Like more than one person singing the chorus?"

"Yep. Deep Purple did that with a lot of their songs, which is a bit of a shame. But there's a million things they change from song to song and band to band."

"Like what?"

She asks curiously.

"Sometimes they add different instruments. Pianos and violins are fairly common, though they're predominantly classical instruments."

"Ah. Does it change the songs much?"

"Usually. Something either really sad or really romantic tends to use completely different instrumentation. Love songs either use a lot or almost nothing. Like you remember that song I played for you and Sova back at base, _Here By Me?_ All they use for that is an acoustic guitar like mine, a bass, and just a bit of drums. Then there's _Here Without You_ that has the entire band playing full blast with a small army of violins helping. Just a different way of doing things."

She nods.

"That's interesting. I imagine it makes for a lot of possibilities."

"More than I care to count. Most songs have their own theme. Missing someone, loving someone, hating something, fighting for something. If you can think it, there's a song for it. And the extranet has all of them at our fingertips."

"The same is true for the music I'm used to, though most of our songs revolve around our home and being trapped in our own lands. Our music tends to be more focused on the singer, with much less instruments behind it. That may be why I like the percussion of your songs so much."

"A fondness for something new?"

"I suppose."

Delilah just shrugged.

"Who knows. There's one guy I need to mention while I'm thinking about it: Matt Nathanson."

"Who's that?"

Reyna raised a hand up, grasping at the words that eludes her.

"He's a weird, old singer. The guy was good, but his music never quite fit into a genre for me. It's kinda rock, but at the same time, not really. I'll have to show you. Up for another demonstration?"

"Sure,"

She says and leans more into Delilah's shoulder.

"I like listening to this."

"I'm enjoying the company as much as the music."

"Me too."

Delilah found the semi-weird hit _Come On Get Higher_ on her phone and get the speakers to listen up. The drums and guitar follow soon after. It's still a good song, but Reyna never quite sure how to feel about it. It almost sounds like it's about sex and the "higher" part refers to a position. The same could be said for almost all of Reyna's songs. Mirai certainly seems to enjoy it, though. Her fingertips rasp the table top in perfect sync with the song, and by the second chorus, Delilah can see the very edges of her lips mouthing with Matt's. Not laughing at that requires a lot of will power.

"Hmm..."

She mutters when the song ends.

"I kind of see why you say it's strange."

"His songs are all over the place. That's one of his really good ones."

"It is. What was the other genre you mentioned? Classical?"

"Yeah. There's not really a set structure to it. Songs range from a minute and a half to half an hour. There's no chorus or verses. But there's usually a handful of common characteristics. Almost all of them have a building through the song, like the rock songs do, and there's a theme that repeats itself, played over and over with slight variations. The instrumentation is all over the place: some bands play with two or three instruments, some do it with two or three dozen. Singers get involved sometimes, though most of the time they're just vocalizing nonsense for effect. But for every rule I set, there's a thousand songs that shatter it. You just have to go through and get a feel for it. Want another example?"

"If you don't mind."

"Alright. I'll do three of them, just to show how different they can be."

The first one up is _False King_ , just to prove how short they can be. It's always been a good one, and for some reason, Delilah always associated it with Mirai. It fits her: starts slow and quiet, a calm beauty that hides its strength, but reveals it in the end when it's called for. Although, Mirai's beauty is a little more hidden. She spends the song bobbing her head again, keeping a perfect beat with the violins. But when _Fantasia on the Dargason comes_ up, it becomes quite a sight. Her head sways side to side with the melody as she figures it out. When she gets it, she starts laughing and rocking like a little kid listening to kindergarten rhymes. Delilah finally give in and start swaying right along with her. This was a fun song to play in high school, even if it did take her three months to get it out of my head. Still, being a goofy four year old again is nice, especially with her favorite little Chinese.

After the duo calmed back down, Delilah decide on _A Song for Lindsay_ for the last one, just to show how romantic classical can be. She's quiet for the first few seconds, more curious than anything else. But as the song builds, she starts leaning more and more against my chest. She hums along with the melody, staying in quiet sync with this... hushed beauty that Reyna can't quite describe. Her eyes close as she sighs and wraps me in a hug.

"I like this one,"

She whispers.

I decide to speak in the same volume, sliding a hug around her small frame.

"So do I. It was written by a horn player. His wife was a flute. The song was supposed to be them playing back and forth to each other."

"A cross-section romance? Is that as nice as a cross-race one?"

She teases softly.

"Depends on which particular romance. I can't think of one that could beat ours."

"Neither can I."

When the song's was nearly finished, Delilah stretched her ribs a bit, though Mirai refuses to let go.

"Not wanting to move over there?"

Reyna asked with a chuckle.

She tightens the hug.

"No. I'm comfortable."

"Figured as much."

When the final chord dies, Mirai yawns and shakes her head. Delilah felt her own drowsiness working its way into her brain. Mirai stretched her arms above her head, leaning on Delilah more.

"Is that enough for tonight?"

Delilah rubbed her hand across Mirai's stomach, loving the feeling of her muscles moving beneath the dress.

"Tired already?"

Delilah chuckled and nuzzled against the side of her face.

"Alright, time for bed. Let me just brush my teeth first."

"Ok..."

She grumbles. Mirai scooted to the side, letting Reyna up and off the bed. Her feet slowly cooperate as Delilah stumble over to the bathroom. Guess the drowsiness is a little thicker than she'd expected. Delilah closed the door behind her to shield Mirai from the unattractive sight of her using the toilet and blue toothpaste foam oozing from her mouth.

After that's accomplished, The Vampire opened the door back up and use the mirror. She examined her face in the glass as she washed that and her hands.

"What do you think about my makeup?"

Delilah asked Mirai through the now-open door.

"What about it?"

She semi-shouts back.

"Think I should get rid of it?"

"Why are you asking me?"

The curiosity in her voice makes Delilah chuckle.

"You are my wife, meaning you have the final vote in everything I or we do. When and where we eat, when and where we sleep, and how much makeup I keep."

"So you're my slave? I'll have to remember that,"

She giggles seductively.

"PG thoughts, Miss Kimur. I don't need another lecture from Skye. So what's the verdict?"

"Hmm... I think you would look different without it. But you wouldn't look bad."

"Alright, how's this sound? I take it off tomorrow, just to test how it is. If you don't like it or it bothers me too much, I'll let it come back."

"I wouldn't mind."

"Got it. Morning objective: vanquish the stuff on my face."

When Delilah got to the bottom of the stairs, Mirai's covered only her feet with the sheets. She strikes a pin-up pose, laying on her side with her hand running down her amazing curves.

"See something you like?"

She teases.

"'Like' doesn't even begin to describe it."

Delilah tossed her shirt into the small hamper by the closet, take two big steps, and jump over the bottom of the bed, landing less than an inch behind her.

She bursts into laughter as Reyna hug her tight.

"What happened to PG?"

"You put the idea in my head."

Delilah let her fidget her way over so that she's facing her. Reyna rolled back and they find their usual positions. Mirai's shoulder lays into Delilah's while her arms close around the Vampire's torso. She lays her head into Reyna's cheek while the Vampire hugged her as tight as she can. Mirai's comfortable sigh vibrates in her chest, their muscles relaxing into each other.

"Enjoying your stay at the Vampire Resort?"

Delilah asked with a smile.

"Very much,"

She half-yawns.

"Before I forget, would you mind sending me a few of your songs tomorrow so I could listen to them?"

Delilah kissed the top of her forehead again.

"Not a problem. I'll make a quick playlist of a hundred or so and send them to you after breakfast."

She nods vigorously.

"Yes. I have to warn you, though: the ones I like all sound like the one I played you."

"Doesn't bother me. It'll still be nice to hear. Sleep tight, Mirai."

"Good night, Delilah."

It doesn't take her long to fall asleep, only a minute or two. It's always nice to watch that subtle transformation, the individual things that change as she gives in to the drowsiness. The way her hands go from rubbing Delilah's shoulder to hanging limply. How the little glows of her eyes blink out... It's become Reyna's personal addiction to watch. Falling asleep before her just doesn't seem right anymore.

It occurred to Delilah that she forgot to tell Mirai about another tendency with music. Using the softer songs to fall asleep. _Here Without You, Right Here Waiting, I Don't Want To Miss A Thing_... If there was ever a perfect song for this moment, that's it.

Delilah opened my phone, careful not to disturb her, turn the music speakers to the lowest volume, and tell them to start playing. The violins come in, slowly building like the smile on my face. _Oh, I love this song... Few songs quite like it..._

"I could stay awake just to hear you breathing... Watch you smile while you are sleeping, while you're far away dreaming. I could spend my life in this sweet surrender. I could stay lost in this moment forever... Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure. I don't want to close my eyes. I don't want to fall asleep, cause I'd miss you baby. And I don't want to miss a thing. Cause even when I dream of you, the sweetest dream would never do, cause I'd miss you babe. And I don't want to miss a thing..."

Delilah wasn't even sure when she fall asleep exactly, but it's one of the most peaceful times in her life... Every night with Mirai has been like this...

Something hard hit Delilah in the ribs, launching her eyes open. She's halfway to her feet and pistol before I realize it was only Mirai's elbow. She's twitching in her sleep, slightly punching and muttering. Her dreams must be active tonight. It's about the... fourth time she's done that. She's never hit Reyna quite that hard, but a gentle kick to the shins is fairly common. She'll do it for ten minutes before settling back down. _Wonder if I do that in my sleep?_

With the toilet now beckoning, Delilah stumbled out of bed and back into the bathroom. The alcohol exits her system quickly before she wash her hands in the sink. Her limbs don't particularly want to work for Delilah in their semi-inebriated state, but she didn't hurt herself on any of the fixtures. There's no point in using the mirror this late, so she worked her way back into the bedroom. Hopefully, the rest of the night will go off without a hitch.

Mirai's twitches have gotten worse on the bed, and her mutters are almost loud enough for Delilah to understand now. Hmm... A twinge of worry starts to eat at Reyna. Mirai does this all the time, but it's never been this bad. Delilah would watch her for a few minutes, make sure she's alright. Reyna walked over and take a seat on the bottom corner of the bed. The words are almost audible now, but still a giant mess of unconscious flailing. Delilah stayed out of reach of her legs and wait for any kind of change.

Reyna's right shoulder starts to ache a bit. She rotated it back and forth, working a kink out of the joint. An android got her good with a good burst. Didn't get through the armour, but melted the pad into skin and cartilage. Skye patched her up pretty good, but it'd take some cybernetics to fix completely. Delilah's fine with it aching during in rain if it means no more tech in her. Damn Operator doesn't do it a whole lot of favours, though.

A kick lands in her thigh, bringing Delilah's thoughts right back to the present. Mirai's not so much twitching now as full-out flailing. Her arms are punching at air, striking invisible enemies before going in another direction.

"No, no, no..."

She mutters.

"Not. Too-too... too hot. Hot..."

Delilah laid a hand on the small of her back.

"Mirai,"

Reyna said with a gentle shove.

She swings a wild elbow at her, then goes back to the front targets.

"Too hot. Can't breathe. D-Delilah, please."

Her arms and legs are going full speed now, desperately trying to take out something.

"Mirai,"

Delilah half-shouted.

"I-I-I can't breathe! Delilah! Delilah, help me!"

"Mirai!"

She finally shoots straight up, gasping for air. A fist almost hits Reyna, but she leaned back under it. Mirai wraps her arms around herself a second later while she shakes like mad.

"God..."

She whispers through tears.

Delilah dragged herself across the bed and almost into her lap. Reyna's arms gripped her in a death hug, pulling her into the Vampire's chest.

"Shh... Shh..."

Delilah muttered in her ear.

"You're ok, you're ok. It was just a nightmare. You're ok..."

Reyna felt her body shiver against her chest and Mirai's teeth chatter. She keeps the hug around herself, but leans her head into my shoulder and the rest of herself into my chest.

"Keelah..."

She sobs.

"I-I-I thought it was real... I thought I was there again..."

"You're here, Mirai. There's nothing to worry about."

She sniffles under the mask.

"... I thought it was real. I-I thought I was back at that Kingdom base getting tortured again. I c-could see y-you trying to get to the panels to let me out... But they stopped you. You were dying on the ground while they kept coming, kept on torturing me... I could feel my skin starting to melt into my bones..."

And with that, she starts sobbing again with renewed strength. All Delilah could do was hug her tighter and keep shushing in her ear.

"Shh... It's alright. It's alright. You got through just fine. Everyone did. It's alright, I'm right here... You're ok..."

None of it seems to slow her wailing down at all until Delilah laid a small kiss on her.

"It's ok, Mirai."

She finally slides her arms around my sides.

"Thank you... It's all I can say."

"It's all you need to... Would it help you back to sleep if I sing?"

"Please,"

She mutters with a nod.

"Ok. Come here."

Delilah laid back down like usual. Mirai makes her hug a little tighter and leaves her head on Reyna's chest, clinging to me like I'm life itself. Delilah hugs her around her back and pull Mirai into her. She rotates a little, making herself somewhat comfortable.

Delilah sighed and lean to her ear.

"This world asks for so much..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Jason Derulo - Want to Want Me  
> Aerosmith - Crazy  
> Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl


	7. Life's Debt Repayed

**We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past.**

**But you are not your mistakes.**

**You are not your struggles.**

**And you are here now with the power to shape your day and your future**

The rain was finally letting up.

It was about time- the last thing she needed was the weather to reflect her mood- but she should have expected that from this godforsaken country she had now called home.

Home.

It had been years, but the word was still foreign to her.

The time she had spent in freedom was now equal to her time in darkness, and yet she still could not believe it. Like this was all a dream, and one day she would just wake up and return to her old life; a gun in her hand and an innocent soul in her crosshairs.

But as she let out a short sigh and leaned against the window, she flinched, feeling the cold glass against her forehead. The sensation of a sharp sting pricked on her skin from the cool surface.

She could feel the cold and it was real. Anchoring her into this reality that is now hers. She was free.

A small noise escaped her throat, a short chuckle as she shook her head, finding herself reaching up and dragging her knuckles across the glass to feel the sting. To feel more.

For so long, Fate kept her mind on a leash and her heart dulled; the very idea of her escaping was beyond a dream, if not a ridiculous fantasy. Yet that did nothing to deter Mirai from trying, even nearly dying trying, several times but she did it.

She was unconscious when it happened- Kingdom left her to bleed to death alone on the battlefield after a disastrous mission. She could barely see those obnoxiously bright jade green robes approaching her through hazy vision before passing out. According to the rest of… _them_ , Mirai had broken ribs, legs torn to shreds, and a bone barely hanging onto its socket, but she still managed to pull her up and drag her off to find help for the both of them. The stubbornness and annoying levels of determination that she despised ended up saving her life.

_Ironic._

There was movement and someone talking behind her in another room, but she didn’t bother to pay attention- she just continued to wait. At first watching the last of the rain land on the other side, following the droplets slowly trickle downwards, until her eyes fell upon her own hand, the malicious part of her slowly disappearing from her body. She was becoming less angry as the days went on, and by now only a small part of her retained the old Vampire. The last reminder of what she was.

Well, of what life did to her.

Removing her hand from the cool surface, she opened her hand and examined the scars along her palm and fingers and of course her body.

They had healed as much as they could on their own; Skye offered to repair the damage, but she refused.

She did this to herself.

To ensure that she would harm no one ever again.

Even as she slowly open and closed her hand she could feel the tendons within struggle. She could never hold a gun or pull the trigger for as long as there was breath in her lungs.

In case this wasn’t a dream.

“Hey… Delilah?”

And God she hoped and prayed this wasn’t a dream.

She turned as she was addressed, finding Mirai standing there, tired and mentally exhausted, but once again her stubborn nature prevailed and her victory was a bundle in her arms.

“Would… You like to hold our daughter?”

Between being a crutch for every step of Delilah's recovery and signing paper after paper for months, the wear was starting to show as she slowly approached closer, carefully shifting the green blanket to present a small round face with big eyes looking around at the new world around her. Delilah's breathe was promptly taken away, she could say nothing but reach out with shaking hands of uncertainty.

Mirai smiled excitedly, life returning to her eyes she carefully placed the child in her arms, positioning her hands and arms correctly to cradle her head.

Delilah was awestruck, her gaze shifting nervously between the child and Mirai, but Mirai continued to smile, keeping her hands on hers as reassurance like always. She could briefly feel cool metal from a ring on Mirai's hand brush against her skin.

Cautiously, she reached out with her free hand to pull the blanket lower, to see more of the tiny girl’s face, but in doing so earned her attention. Delilah froze, unable to move as the child just stared up at her with the smallest sleepy smile.

She remained unmoving as the child reached out and grasped her finger, the closest digit to her face, and proceeded to hold on as tight as she could, covering the last of the discolored skin on her hand. 

“She’s beautiful.”

Delilah mumbled, just barely under a whisper, finally looking up to find Mirai with the brightest smile and streaks of tears across her cheeks.

“Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Harry Styles - Adore You  
> Shawn Mendes - Mercy  
> Camila Cabello - Never Be the Same


	8. Through the Valley (Intermission)

Her hand hits the level interface, making the door behind her close and the elevator rise. She pops her knuckles again in an attempt to get the cramps to stop. _Holographic interfaces are nice, but pressing keys without hitting a physical object hurts after a while. No one's found a way to fix this yet?_ she thinks to herself. The four hours of fuel maintenance took a toll on all of the engineering crew, but her lack of experience made fatigue set in that much faster. _I've gotten spoiled going on missions with Delilah. Killing Kingdom agents is a nice distraction from such tedious work. At least Breach's aeroplane core is a prototype: the new technology is interesting._

The elevator arrives at its destination and opens for the small Chinese. She tosses the thoughts aside in favor of a well-deserved lunch. Military nutrient paste isn't exactly a delicacy, but it beats her own cooking back on at base: it's not burnt beyond recognition. She looks over at Sabine's corner of the upper deck, a little surprised she's not there like usual. _Where would she be- oh, yes. Skye. She's trying to help her with her migraines. Some kind of brain therapy or something like that. I guess I'll be eating lunch on my own._ She selects a tubed MRE from the storage locker and sits back down at the table.

Her hands start to bother her again before she can even break the seal on her lunch. She starts rubbing her fingers and palms, which does some good. Not a lot, but some. _Fuck, my fingers are covered in callouses. Raze probably doesn't notice, since she only plays with her oversized shotguns. Delilah is lucky to have smaller, nimbler fingers. It would explain why she's such an amazing shot._

As if her thoughts beckoned it, she hears the Vampire's voice. Her eyes scan the room before realizing the source isn't there. She's talking or something from her cabin, just loud enough for her to hear in the mess. She tried to hone her hearing only onto her cabin, trying to figure out what she's saying. _It's her voice, but not the way it usually sounds. There's almost something... musical to it._

Her curiosity gets the better of her. She walks around to the wall of Viper's corner, afraid that if she tries to listen through the door, its sensor will give her away. Her voice audible enough to be heard with Mirai's head pressed against the hull, but she had to focus all of her attention to the room to understand any words or sounds.

“Please have mercy on me... Take it easy on my heart... Even though you don't mean to hurt me”

There's a strange melody to her voice; the sentences sound like something she would say, but not quite. And there's some kind of ringing mixing with it.

“You keep tearing me apart... Would you please have mercy, mercy on my heart?... Would you please have mercy, mercy on my heart?”

_She's singing. Delilah is a singer. And a pretty good one, at that._

“I'd drive through the night... Just to be near you, baby... Heart open, testify... Tell me that I'm not crazy”

“Mirai?”

The voice, no more than a few feet behind her, sends her up and out of her skin. Coming back down is worse when her feet decide to miss the floor entirely. She slams into the ground shoulder first, hard.

“Ow!”

She yelps.

Sova rushes to her aid and picks her up.

“Sorry. Scare you?”

“A little,”

She groans. She works her shoulder and wrist a few times to make sure everything's intact.

“I was concentrating harder than usual, and I didn't expect to hear anyone behind me.”

“Are you sure you weren't afraid that you got caught spying on Reyna?”

He grins mischievously.

“No!”

She shouts before rubbing her hands.

“Maybe...”

He laughs at her embarrassment.

“Relax, I won't tell her... yet. But why were you pressed against the wall like that? You wanna become vines?.”

“I was, um... listening to Reyna. She was singing.”

“What?”

He questions with a raised eyebrow.

“I couldn't believe it either. Listen for yourself: she was singing to music in there.”

“Fine. But I'm walking around to the door. The metal's thinner there.”

Sova walks over to his new destination, the Chinese hot on his tail. With a wave of his hand, he kills the door's sensor before it can reveal their positions. Only when they're sure they're safe do they press their ears to the metal door. The music is still going in the cabin, but Delilah's singing is nowhere to be heard. Mirai's frustration is apparent by her slightly clenched fist. _Of course. Now you won't sing and make me look crazy in front of Sova. Come on, sing, you idiot!_

All sounds from the room stop, heeding to the footsteps of the Vampire. The two peeping toms sprint to back to Sabine's usual corner and try to look natural before they can get caught eavesdropping.

Reyna enters the mess a second later.

“Hey, Mirai. Sova,”

She smiles at her teammates.

Mirai, still slightly paralyzed by fear, watches her with fascination. Even with flat shoes she still remained maybe a few inches taller than her.

Curiously enough, Reyna wore only a black formal shirt with a leather belt and flat shoes as anything above her waist was only her bronzed skin littered with scars with only a sports bra to hide her melons. Her eyes were still piercing into the agents' very soul without even Reyna meaning to.

But at the same time, her eyes were now starting to tell a different story. They had this... soft spark in them. almost like a light shining through water. Mirai's seen it a handful of times, when Delilah sits with her and talks. It shows a rare kindness and morals that make her so... her. The combination paints a unique picture, one that she's mildly obsessed with. _There's no one quite like her. She's now nice to everyone, even more to me. No one ever treated me like that befre, even her parents. She's special... Oh, God: PLEASE don't let her find out I was spying on her!_

“Hey, uh... Reyna,”

Sova half-stutters.

Delilah waves a hand at him.

“Sova, drop the 'Reyna' crap off-duty. Call me Delilah. You're not in Valorant anymore. Same goes for you, my dear.”

“I've got it, Rey-, uh... Del,”

She says, wringing her hands again.

“Step in the right direction,”

Delilah acknowledges. She steps over to her locker, grabbing a yellowing banana from within.

“What are you two up to?”

Sova recovers his composure, finally.

“Taking a lunch break. It's hard work, repairing the bar after the paces you put it through yesterday.”

“It was your and Raze's idea to try to outdrink me, if memory serves,”

Delilah jokes, sinking her teeth into the fruit.

“Besides, we all got out fine.”

“Only because Mirai here found about this little stunt. She cleaned up the mess as well”

“I'll give you that one.”

She swallows a bite and points to the Chinese.

“Is that true, cariño? What would I be doing in this world without you?”

“Th-th-thank you, R-R-Reyna, I-I mean, Delilah.”

She pinches one of her fingers tightly to regain some semblance of control. _Damn it! Keep it together!_

The Mexican shook her head with a smile on her face.

“It's alright, my dear. Relax. What's got so you wound up?”

 _Think of something clever, think of something clever. Fuck... why did she have to wear no shirts today?!_

“I think I'm tired. I've been running maintenance on the engine and cleaning up the messes from yesterday all morning.” _That's clever?!_

“Ok, understandable. Just make sure you don't hurt yourself down there.” _She didn't catch on. So I'm tired: just act like that's the problem._

“Hey, where's my safety warning? I'm the one dealing with the hydrogen fuel tanks,”

Sova protests, his voice drowning in sarcasm.

“Sorry, you're not cute enough for that. Mirai is.”

Goosebumps form on her pale skin, and all of her oxygen flees her lungs in a heartbeat. _Did she just call me cute? Is she serious? She thinks I'm cute?_

“Sexist bastard.”

Sova's voice shakes Mirai from the moment of panic.

“Any time, Archer,”

Delilah teases back.

After a few moments, she finally gets herself under control.

“Uh... Del? What were you doing just before you came out of your cabin? I-I'm just curious,”

She says with only a slight stutter to which Reyna simply shrugged.

“Nothing much. Getting a little bit of R&R. Any particular reason?”

Words fail her when she tries to think of a decent excuse. Sova takes care of it.

“When we got up here, we heard something. It was coming out of your cabin, best we could figure.”

“Ah.”

Delilah finishes her banana before pitching the skin into a waste can.

“I'm surprised you guys could hear that. The walls are decent sound dampeners.”

“Mirai heard it first, actually. I didn't notice until she pointed it out.”

“Wow. I thought I had good hearing.”

“I, uh- I am usually not attentive to my surrounding but somehow I heard it”

There's only a little bit of an embarrassment in her voice this time, much to her relief.

The Mexican nods.

“Nice. When I get a few hours to myself, I like to take my guitar out and play for a little while. Just something to help me relax.”

“Do you mind playing it for us?”

The Chinese and the Russian asked in harmony.

“Hang on,”

She says while heading back to her cabin.

Reyna appears a few heartbeats later, holding a strangely shaped piece of wood with six metal strands running the length of it. He holds it slightly in front of him for the other two to see.

“Guitar.”

After letting the uncultured agents fidget with it, Delilah sits on the edge of the handrail, lays it across her lap, and produces a small, dark plastic disk from her pocket. The strings face the two agents while he runs the disk across them. He touches at each string, toys with the nobs, and repeats. “You guys tinkering with it threw it a little out of tune. Give me a second.”

“Sorry,”

Mirai immediately apologizes.

“I was trying to figure out how it worked.”

“It's alright, honey; just takes me a second to get it back again. No harm done.”

After a few more plucks, she appears satisfied.

“Don't suppose there's any requests in the audience, is there?”

“Whatever floats your boat, my love?”

Mirai asks to which Delilah nodded.

“Coming right up.”

Delilah taps her foot to the ground, beating a slow rhythm. She closes her eyes and starts working her fingers on the metal strings. The little disk picks again at the center of the base, giving off the first high note before a flurry of others. Her left hand starts to move up and down the neck, fingers covering the strings in different places in sync with the disk's plucks. A melody of a dozen notes appears in the air while Reyna continues bouncing her foot.

“I found a love for me... Oh darling, just dive right in and follow my lead... Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet... Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me”

She sings quietly. Her voice, with a slightly dark, enchanting quality, is barely audible over the notes of the guitar.

“'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love... Not knowing what it was... I will not give you up this time... But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own... And in your eyes, you're holding mine”

Mirai watches his fingers, marvelled as they dance across the strings. _Wow. I couldn't come close to doing any of that. My hands would fail at even the simplest notes. And her singing... Wow..._

“Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms... Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favourite song... When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath... But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight”

Delilah keeps on playing, never opening her eyes or showing awareness of the outside world. She seems... engrossed in the song, focused on something hidden in the lyrics and notes. Enough so that it starts to worry her. _Is she singing this song thinking of someone? Someone special to him, someone he loves? Me?_

As her mind runs through scenarios, the song finally comes to an end. Delilah smiles to herself, setting the guitar on the ground and opening her eyes.

“What do you think?”

She shrugs with a mildly nervous smile.

“I'm... impressed,”

Sova chimes in.

“Maybe there is something to having those extra skills.”

Delilah chuckles, holding her hands in the air and wiggling her fingers.

“Gotta play the hand you're dealt. No pun intended. What about you, Mirai dear?”

 _Is this about me? Is this about me? Is this about me?..._ “That was great. You sing really well, Del.”

“I had a good teacher. Believe me: I sounded like a dying animal when I started.”

“Where did you learn how to do that? The guitar and the singing,”

She asks.

“It was my younger sister, actually. She was a music teacher back in Mexico for high schools and community bands.”

“Humanity's best assassin had a musician as a sister?”

Sova laughs.

“Hey, it happens. My parents were both farmers, but that duty fell mostly on my Dad. Mom taught me how to sing and a few instruments. Believe me: nothing is quite as awkward as your mom being your marching band instructor. She didn't let me get away with anything.”

“You had to march and play that at the same time?”

Mirai asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Marching horn, actually.”

He opens her phone and shows a picture of a strangely shaped piece of brass metal. It's been coiled into a circle, with a hole at each end and several buttons in the middle.

“I played regular horn in the concert band, where we just sat and played. I wasn't bad: I was section leader for my sophomore and junior years. My family went poor before my senior year, so I didn't get the chance.”

“I-I'm sorry.”

Mirai starts wringing her hands again, losing herself in the nervous habit.

“For what happened and-an-and for bringing it up again. I-I wasn't trying to make you think of a bad memory.”

She sets a hand on Mirai's shoulder.

“It's alright, cariño. It's something long-buried for me. It doesn't bother me anymore.”

Mirai lowers her hands back down to her sides.

“Ok. Still, I'm sorry.” _Why did I have to bring that up?!_

“Thanks. Anyway, Mom made sure I worked for all of that: none of it was easy gimme's. But I picked up the guitar just because I was bored one summer and found it in the attic. She taught me all the basics and some singing in hopes I'd get a girlfriend or boyfriend out of it. Although, that's kinda hard to do when you only know songs from around 2000 and 2020.”

Sova shakes his head.

“I'm glad I'm not the only one who's mother tried to set up on dates.”

“My mom set me up with four different boys and girls in the band. She said, and I quote, 'No daughter of mine is going to be the lonely kid who hides from girls and boys.'”

“When the Militsiya got a new chief, my mother set me up with his daughter so he could get an impression on the man. He told me this right to my face ten seconds before he introduced us.”

Delilah laughs and pats her leg.

“That's a new one. I think our moms were both a little nuts. At least they were honest.”

“Fair enough.”

Mirai waits until the pair stop chuckling before she tries to reenter the conversation.

“Can I ask a question, Del?”

She shrugs.

“Sure. What?”

“When you were singing,... were you thinking of something or-or someone other than m-me? I-it kind of looked like you were; that's why I'm curious.” _Damn it, what happened to being subtle!?_

She shrugs before raising a curious eyebrow at the Healer.

“Of course yeah. When I play or sing a song, I close my eyes and think of something that fits it. Something romantic for songs like that, something badass for rock songs, etc. But no, I wasn't thinking of someone else in particular other than you when I sang that. And I'm not giving my attention to another woman, if that's what you're asking.”

Her heart freezes in her chest.

“Wa-was I-I that o-obvious?”

“Only a little. I get it: you're getting jealous, I know I'm an attractive piece of meat but I don't mind. At least you didn't look up my service record like Cypher did.”

_Why didn't I think of that?_

“I'm sorry, and I wouldn't. You've just been talking to Omen a lot again, and I thought he was captivating you again”

“It's alright. Just ask me next time, though. Deal?”

The expression is lost on her for a moment.

“Deal? What- oh. Yes, deal. I'll ask next time.” _At least she wasn't looking at other gals and pals._

“Sorry; forgot you tend to get jealous,”

Delilah apologizes.

“Feel free to come over to my cabin. As long as you wear something nice or nothing at all, you're more than welcome.”

Within the blink of an eye, Sage wrapped her arms around Delilah before resting her face right in between her bosoms.

“That offer better apply to me, too,”

Sova smirks, bearing the strongest shit-eating grin known to man.

“I can make room for you too, Archer,”

Reyna smiles.

“But the moment you come in just to make fun of me, I'm booting your ass out.”

Mirai's stomach growls, reminding her of her initial reasons for coming up. Sova and Delilah have started a whole new conversation amongst themselves, so she slips out of the corner and back to her lunch. She sits down at the table and quietly wrings her hands while her mind processes everything. _Ok... Delilah said that she's not letting her eyes wander, I'm cute, and I get to listen to her sing._

“Hey Mirai,”

A voice calls to her, breaking the trance.

She turns around to see Delilah looking over.

“Yes?”

“I could stand for some lunch, and you look kinda lonely over there. Miss me already?”

She smiles from ear to ear.

“Sure. But I get to pick what we talk about.”

Delilah smiles back.

“I can live with that.”

\---

**The Next Day**

After being aboard the aeroplane for less than three hours, her first annoyance becomes how long it takes the damn elevator to come down to engineering. _My God. They rebuild the ship and upgrade the shields, armor, fuel capacity, weapons systems, even the mess hall. But no one thought to build more than one elevator. Or a faster one. At least a set of stairs! Who's genius idea was that?_ It finally opens to her silent gripes, free passage for her to the kitchen deck.

The elevator beeps as it hisses open. Immediately, a familiar sound strikes her ears: a plastic pick on the metal strings of a wooden instrument. A flurry of notes are in the air, their pitches controlled by an unseen set of hands. She smiles, remembering the music Delilah always played from her cabin but now this time it was more electric. She now would sit in a corner, lay her head against the wall, and listen to Delilah's wonderful singing. Most people would've probably considered it spying or stalking. _I wasn't spying on her; I was... enjoying her music. From the mess hall... Without her knowing... She's my wife anyways, I could do that couldn't I?_

“So-so savage the new machine. Gearing to hunt down your privacy. So-so savage the new machine. Kill it all for a like supreme!”

A hidden voice sings. She recognizes its owner immediately. Her feet carry her at full-sprint around the corner to settle the mystery once and for all. But sure enough, the sight of the mess hall is impossible to discredit. Delilah was sitting on the edge of the table, electric guitar in hand, eyes closed, and smile broad.

“So-so savage the new machine. Geared to hunt down your privacy. So-so savage the new machine. Kill it all for a like supreme!”

She sings with renewed energy. Delilah stops for just a moment when Breach slams two wooden spoons on a few pans stacked on the counter. The rhythm of the song's kept in a strange combination of clangs and bangs, each one a different pitch and volume. Delilah strikes down hard on his guitar, joining in right back on the beat.

“Here we are now so entertained. We aim for stupid means we’re going insane... Conﬂict is order. There’s war in peace. Adjust the language. To what they believe. Friction is power. The distance is. From not knowing. To knowing this!”

The flurry of notes and clangs picked up as Reyna raised her guitar into the air and began to shout once more.

"So-so savage the new machine. Geared to hunt down your privacy. So-so savage the new machine. Kill it all for a like supreme. So-so savage the new machine. Gearing to hunt down your dignity. So-so savage the new machine. Kill it all for a like supreme. A like supreme!"

The final note hangs in the air for a few heartbeats. Mirai, unsure how to react, stays frozen on the far side of the table. Breach was the first to notice the Chinese intruder.

"Heya, Sage,”

He calls with a genuine grin.

Delilah turns her head, finally seeing her.

“Hey, Mirai. Didn't expect to see you up here so soon.”

She shakes her head to boot the feeling deja vu.

“I was coming up for lunch. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?”

“Nah, just a 'people-doing-stupid-shit' break,”

Reyna chuckles. Her hand pats the spot on the table beside her.

“Come on over.”

Controlling the hand-washing urge in the back of her head, she walks to Delilah and takes her seat. Reyna surprises her by giving a one-armed hug across her shoulders.

“I've missed you. I was just trying to drown out your snores with some bit of rock”

She looks at her with the most irritating face ever. _I told you to never spill that secret, Del. Breach isn't going to shut up about it._

“It-It's good to be back. Wh-what were you two doing exactly?”

She shrugs nonchalantly.

“Trying to relax a little bit in about the only way I know how. Breach over there is pretty good at keeping a beat, so I let him give me a hand.”

Mirai's eyes drift over Delilah's face, examining every inch of it. She almost looks like nothing ever happened, not even the passage of ten years. It's like she never nearly died.

“What's it like, your... renewed body?”

She asks.

Delilah sets the guitar down on her opposite side.

“It's not too bad. There are a few things little things I kinda miss.”

“I thought the doctors left everything you didn't want gone?”

“For the most part, they did. But there are certain things that they forgot to keep. Well, that, and the Kingdom assault on the station cut my healing time.”

“So what's missing?”

“Some of my scars, for starters,”

She chuckles, rubbing a finger across her chest.

“Maybe 'missing' is the wrong word for it. I... I think I just got so used to it there, it doesn't feel right for it to be gone. All of them are gone, even the little ones across my chest and legs from when I was little. But the worst one is the one that were on my hands.”

“I think you look good without it.”

Mirai's brain catches the words about a quarter of a second after they leave her mouth. Sh _e just said he misses them, and you tell him she's better off without them. Stupid!_

“Really?”

She smiles.

“I didn't think you noticed. Did you memorize them when were we in bed?"

“I-I didn't. I mean, I saw, but I didn't think about it. Th-that doesn't mean I didn't mean it. I-t...”

Her hands start scrubbing themselves again as she stutters without control.

Delilah grabs Mirai's side and pulls her in for another one-armed hug, laughing the entire time.

“Will you relax? I'm just messing with you.”

 _Oh no, it was a joke! Calm down, calm down. She's not being mean, and she didn't catch on. Calm down..._

Her stuttering finally stops, and soon after, her hands lower back down into her lap.

“Oh... Sorry, I-I guess I forgot some of your jokes.”

Delilah pats her back one last time before letting go.

“It's alright. Sorry for picking on you.”

“You should probably work a little on your sarcasm, Reyna,”

Breach chimes in from the kitchen.

“We don't all pick up on it.”

“Everyone else gets it just fine. It was just a momentary confusion,”

Reyna replies.

Mirai shakes her head.

“It was my fault. I panicked and thought that I had insulted you or something.”

“You didn't, cariño. I'll let you know if you say something that's off.”

She picks up her guitar and starts picking at it again, seemingly experimenting on the small wood and metal wonder.

“Where did you get the electric guitar from?” she asks, a little confused.

Reyna scratched her head before drumming her knuckles against the guitar.

“It was from one of Phoenix's many antique collections I picked this one up on Bhutan. Some android artifact thief thought it was a weird piece of wood and sold it to me for ten credits. Don't think he realized he could've sold it to most humans for a hundred easy.”

Mirai whistles.

“Wow. You got a good deal on it.”

“That I did. It's an old, beat-up fucking piece of shit, but it works. None of my calluses are here because of that medical procedure”

“You had callouses?'”

Delilah holds her hand in front of Mirai, palm up for her inspection. The tips of the Mexican's fingers are a dark red, and some of them look ready to blister.

“Ow,”

Mirai mutters.

“Little bit.”

She returns to picking on the strings.

“That medical procedure after our base burnt down removed those callouses so I have to regrow them back. My joints are still very sore, I don't know if I can sing as well as I could a few weeks ago”

“You're still really good. Both singing and playing.”

Delilah smiles.

“Good to hear. At least it gives me something to do. I'm assuming you came up here for lunch?”

“Yes, though I forgot about it when I heard you. I'll grab something.”

“Not on my watch,”

Breach semi-shouts.

“You tell me what you like, and I'll whip it up.”

Mirai nods.

“Ok. Can you just cook something simple? I don't feel rather peckish today”

“Coming right up.”

As the Swede searches for her meal, she listens to the pickings on the guitar. _I missed that sound. There's something comforting about it. Anyway, it's nice. I wonder..._

“Would you mind playing another song, Del?”

She shrugs

“Sure. I don't suppose you know any rock songs I can play.”

“You can play whatever you want to. I just want to hear you sing again.”

“Did somebody miss me over the time I was in the hospital?”

Delilah's sarcasm is almost thick enough to be pulled out of the air.

Mirai decides to get him back.

“Well, it's not very often I get offered live music.”

Reyna laughs a little.

“Fair enough. Alright, let me think... I've got one. Breach? You mind giving me a beat?”

“Give me one to keep,” the cook replies. Gardner retrieves his set of wooden spoons again, holding them high in the air on display. The Vampire mutters to himself for a second, then lets out a series of “duh”and “dat” sounds like another language. Gardner immediately starts clanking on his pots again in a loud, constant rhythm.

Delilah bobs her head and strums to the beat. The symphony that's created has an energy to it, one that she can't help but swaying to. Reyna's eyes drift over to Mirai for a brief second before they retreat and she starts to sing.

“Got chrome in ma' bloodstream. Got a hardwired metal soul. I'm craving serious action. That smack, drag drunken roll”

Delilah still has that enchantingly dark voice, making the song all the better.

“Chips are bashin' in ma' top. Ridin' high ma' slots are shot. Metal burnin' 'neath ma' skin”

She lifts his head up a little, looking ahead instead of at her fingers.

“I'm Chippin'In. Chippin' In. Chips are buzzin', Implants hot. Ridin' high ma' slots are shot. Metal burnin''neath ma'skin. I'm Chippin' In!”

It's around then that Mirai realizes that Delilah was singing with her eyes open. _That's odd... She always sings with her eyes closed. She focuses on what she's singing about, helping her sing that much better. Why wouldn't she do that now?_

Delilah steals another glance at Mirai, smiling while he keeps strumming. It only lasts a heartbeat before her eyes dart away.

“Chippin' In - got my back to the wall. Chippin' In - c'mon hear ma' call. Chippin' In - I'm the man of steel. Chippin' In - Fuckin' Feel it. I'm Real!" _Every time she sings, she closes her eyes and envisions what she's singing about... So, if her eyes are open... and she's looking at me..._ Every muscle tenses up at the connection her mind makes. _Oh God..._

Another smile comes across Delilah's face as she goes through the guitar solo. For the entire minute, she can't move, or hardly even think. Each time Reyna looks over at her, her heart freezes into place. She's enjoying every second of it, but she can't get the revelation out of her head.

The breaks finally comes to an end, making Reyna come back in and sing.

“Justice called heavy violence. Gonna boost and hit the street. Corp plague in violent droves. Made of greed, they packn' heat. Cold chrome, spent molten lead. Can't be killed cause I'm really dead. Stand, don't feed the ghost within. I'm Chippin' In. Chippin' In”

It takes a few seconds for Delilah to finish the song, with that same smile across her face. Mirai slowly relaxes from the terror in her stomach.

“So what do you think?”

Delilah asks, snapping her out of her trance.

“I liked it,”

She smiles under her mask.

“You're still really good.”

“I try.”

“What, are you forgetting the drums?”

Breach shouts from his kit.

“We'll see if we can't get you a real instrument, Hermano. Then we'll try to get you some recognition,”

Delilah laughs.

The former Assassin sets the guitar down to the side and lays back across the table. Her eyes close with a relieved sigh, the slight smile still on her face.

“Finally...”

She mutters.

“Hmm?”

“'Hmm?' what?”

“Why did you say 'finally?'”

Mirai asks.

Delilah shrugs her shoulders.

“It's just nice to finally relax a little. It's been a long month and a half.”

“It's been that bad?”

Delilah's following sigh isn't one of relief.

“After nearly dying of exsanguination, I woke up in a hospital being attacked by an army of Kingdom and pregnant. Since then, I've had to deal with the three biggest mercenary companies on Earth, a Kingdom abduction, and an android ambush, all while running away from an organization I hate. Finding you and the gang again have been the highlights.”

Mirai sets her hand on Delilah's arm. Her thumb runs across Reyna's skin in a blind attempt at comforting her.

“I'm sorry, Delilah... I-I never thought about it like that.”

“It's alright,”

She says, gently grabbing her hand.

“I'm glad I've got you back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter (Music that Reyna played):  
> Ed Sheeran - Perfect  
> Shawn Mendes - Mercy (Acoustics)  
> SAMURAI - A Like Supreme  
> Damian Ukeje, P. T. Adamczyk, Kerry Eurodyne - Chippin' In


End file.
